


Elementalist

by EmotionsofInk



Category: League of Legends RPF
Genre: Angst and Feels, Elements, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Abuse, Set during worlds 2018, Zach centered, dark pasts, like REALLY dark, powers, yet another fantasy AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2019-08-07 16:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16411865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmotionsofInk/pseuds/EmotionsofInk
Summary: “If you’re dark Lux what elements are the rest of the team?”A simple fan question leads to a not so simple week for Zach and rest of the C9 team. His past is about to catch up to him, and the universe, and magic mumbo-jumbo of the world  really wants to kick him when he's down.





	1. Darkness Rises

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, okay - here we go. Originally this was going to be posted after IDO, but seeming it is set like, the week before semi's I wanted to at least get the first chapter up. IDO is almost done, so this will move to be my focus once that is complete. ^.^
> 
> Just so you are all aware Fanatic make there appearance around chapter three/four

_“If you’re dark Lux what elements are the rest of the team?”_

The question popped up on the screen and Zach grinned, leaning back in the chair, thinking about it for a moment. He loved that this was a thing, he was so glad that Reapered had let him do a celebration stream for getting into semi-finals. It was a team stream to say thanks for the fans and to have a break for the team, much like back when they did the HTC trails, the team were doing flex ques, doing any challengers that the fans asked for and answering questions in que. 

“Okay, this is possibly the best question I have ever had – guys I have the perfect answer too.” Zach had the camera full screen as the rest of the team came around, all of them now on screen with him in the stream. “All answers by me are final because I say so – alright, one at a time.”

“Mister Licorice here would be mystic, because top lane is a weird and wonderful place and no one knows what the fuck goes on up there but whatever it is you’re amazing at it.”

Eric chuckled at this, “Plus I’m totally the cutest one here and you all know it.”

“Yeah something like that, okay – going down the roster line, makes sense – Dennis my man would be light, because he is the nicest damn person I’ve met and like, counter acts all of us when we get a bit down and angry and… well dark.”

“You’re all such hard work.” Dennis teased with a laugh – causing the rest of the team to pout at him. “Wait, so I don’t get to transform, that’s just rude.”

“Oh, but you’re already too strong so you don’t need to… it’s all good.”

Jensen snorted at Zach’s comment to this, “Nice save idiot.”

“And then we get to Mister Nicolaj – you only get one guess which one he gets to be.” Zach poked his tongue out at Jensen at added, “Ice, cruel and cold.”

“Hurtful, rude, burning – but true, yup I’ll take that.” Jensen grinned as Eric made a “no” sound while shuffling over in his chair and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. “See Eric here, hasn’t known me long enough to realize I actually am an asshole.” He chuckled as Eric made a “no” sound again, tightening the grip on the hug.

Zach just shook his head, ignoring his team in the background he turned back to the stream, “And now, we’ll talk the opposite, Mister Blaber is our magma element because it’s always go, go – there is no off button and he just leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. For both teams normally.”

“You’re really just letting it all out, there aren’t you?”

“I am just stating the truth – you know I love you.”

Robert wrinkled his nose, the rookie jungler pouting slightly, “Do I know that – honestly?”

“Anyway, back to the question – my awesome lane partner here, who I love and who compliments me in every way,” Zach tried to ignore the look that Tristan was giving him at this point, a wonderment of confusion as he shook his head and tried to hold back laughter. “Which is why he is Storm, because you know Dark and Stormy nights. Plus, Tristan can just pop off without any warning – like bam lighting strikes.”

“Zach…”

“Mmm?”

“Have you maybe thought about this already? Like, that seemed way to well thought out to just be off the cuff.”

There was a small pause and Zach looked slightly sheepish, “And so what if I have?”

“Fucking weeb.” Laughter echoed around the room at this comment as they all went back to the games, spending a few more hours streaming together before deciding to call it a night. By the time they had bid each other good night, moving out into their own rooms the conversation had almost all but been forgotten, something to remember back on and laugh.

Zach found sleep came easy for him that night – not something that he could usually say especially when away in a different country. Sleep washed over him, the room dark and silent around him. He didn’t dream. But whispers, voices – silent please echoed around in his head. His name said in thanks and said in warning.

The air in the room shifted and moved as she walked, barefoot across the ground, leaving a purple mist behind her. She made no sound as she walked, her body clothes in a dark purple gown that trailed down around her on the ground. 

“You poor dear,” She trailed her nails across the foot of the bed, the long black nails pulling threads in the covers, a smirk appearing on her face as she reached his arm, a shiver flying through his body at the contact on her nails on his arm. “You have no idea do you – what you are capable of, what you just released.”

Breathing out deeply she took in the sight of the dark mist forming around him, Zach began turning in his bed, shivering and muttering under his breath, curling in on himself as he did so. “Dear, there is nothing you can do to stop this now – to stop me.” Her nails now ran through his hair, the deep purple mist continuing to swirl around him even more. “Just embrace it – embrace the darkness you’ve kept hidden for so long.”

Zach yelled as his eyes snapped open, moving forward and breathing deeply – for a split second he thought he could see a ghost of a women in front of him – but it disappeared into the black mist that was in his room. Black mist… he must have been seeing things.

“What… what in the fuck is going…” He closed his eyes and then opened then quickly and the mist was gone. Zach’s breath shook as he breathed out deeply, “I had to be dreaming I had to…” His voice trailed off as he felt the sting in his arm – looking down he saw the mark, a slight scratch down his arm. “That’s, that is not… possible.” Pain filled his head, crashing through with screams and whispers. 

He pushed himself backwards shaking as his back hit the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest, he closed his eyes and breathed out deeply – when he opened them the black mist was back, but instead of being around the room, it was around him instead. Swirling, shifting – taking shape around his arms.

“No, no, no this can’t be…. This can’t be happening what…” He screamed as the mist hit his arms, a burning sensation coursing through his entire body as it made contact. And the yelling and screaming in his head increased, coursing through him – the voices all mixing together.

“Zach! Zach are you okay?”

He couldn’t even discern who had spoken to him – the noise in his head too much.

“I don’t understand I…” The pain continued to course through Zach as he stared at his arms, gloves were forming from the mist, the black and purple becoming fabric that shifted around him and solidified around him. The mist continued to move and shift around his body and Zach whined as everything turned dark around him, as he tried his to stay conscious.

“Zach! We’re coming in!” The door opened and through the dark black mist Zach saw his team mates walk through the door, although through the colours he didn’t recognize who it was – through the pain in his head he hardly heard their words as they moved forward – talking in concern.

Zach’s whole vision disappeared, as he fell forward in a feint. The team running forward to help him. They didn’t even get close as a shock-wave of dark mist crashed around the room – sending them all backwards, crashing to a heap near the door of the room.

\- - -

They had been ready to go to sleep for the night, saying their final goodnight when the sound came from Zach’s room – at first it sounded like a small whimper, like a normal restless sleep – but then the scream crashed into them and they all turned at once, hearts pumping at what could be wrong.

“Zach!” Jensen rammed his fist on the door in a knock, “Zach are you okay?”

“Look, is that – is that smoke?” Dennis pointed to the ground, where black mist seemed to be seeping out from under it, it was thick and washed in purple. It gave Dennis the strange impression of a chemical fire, or something similar. The sight caused him to panic even more, and he could tell by the shake of Jensen’s voice that it had scared him too.

“Zach! We’re coming in!”

Dennis rammed his shoulder against the door, from behind him he could hear the sound of the rest of the team, hearing what was happening rushing down the sight. The smoke was even thicker in the room, but the colours were different – the purple was more prominent, making it easier to see.

The sight of Zach pressed up against the wall, fear the only thing on his face as black and purple mist swirled around him and seemed to tie him up was enough for the panic to turn to terror as they ran forward, calling out his name as they did so. In the back of their minds was the thought of what in the world was going on – but it all paled in comparison to their worry of Zach.

When he collapsed in a dead feint Dennis and Jensen rushed up to check on him, only to be pushed back by a force that they could barely describe, as if the mist and smoke was solid and had taken form. The hit crashed through them like a shock-wave, knocking the wind of them and blurring their vision as the rest of the team helped them to their feet.

Before any of them could say anything, a cruel and cold chuckled echoed around the room.

“Oh… the poor boy, so much darkness – so much hate all bottled up inside… a perfect mix for me.” The comment had come from Zach but it certainly wasn’t him talking, the voice coming out of his mouth sounded like two people, a hint of his own voice, almost like an echo, and a cold, sultry voice that laughed. “It is going to take a while to get used to this body however.”

The team stared in shock, as Zach, or whoever this person was got to their feet, moving around the room, the black and purple mist finally stopped swirling around them – revealing purple and black feathers and leather, similar to the dark lux cosplay but with harder edges, darker tones. A sense of foreboding and cruelty seemed to wash off them.

Twisting their hands in the air an orb of purple energy appeared, a smirk appeared on their face, a cruel laugh as they finally turned to the stunned and somewhat terrified team.

“Hello boys, thank you so much for finally letting me out.”


	2. Light Emerges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone - hope you all had a wonderful Christmas - and Happy New Year to you all as well. I am about to hit the busiest time of the year for me for work, so I wanted to take a little time out before getting back into writing again. Please bear with me for updates, that might come slower than some of my other stories as I have a busy 2019 ahead of me :D
> 
> Just a reminder this story is set in Worlds 2018. And also that there is a relationship and it's hinted at in every chapter until the reveal :D

The cruel sneer really didn’t suit Zachary face and the cold, almost black eyes made his face seem more warped. Purple light bounced around the room, creating shadows from the matter that was forming in his hands.

“Come on now boys, don’t all bow before me all at once.” With every word spoken, less and less of Zach’s voice was heard, like he was becoming the echo, as she became stronger, as she gained more control.

“No one is bowing to you, who – or whatever you are. Now leave Zach alone.”

“My dear, I already told you – hello, I’m darkness.”

“If you’re darkness then you have no place in Zach – he’s the most…”

“Oh, see that is where you are wrong.” The room darkened and the purple matter around his hands burst forth. “You were about to say how he’s perfect, a little light – no darkness at all. Oh, the secrets in his head, the lies he has told.”

“Stop it, no matter what he doesn’t belong with you.”

They sneered, “You know – don’t you.” Turning to face Jensen who had spoken. “The best friend, you know all the little secrets and you still think that Zachary doesn’t belong to the dark?”

“His past does not define him – whatever the hell you are, get out – leave him alone.”

“No.” The single word was accompanied by a flash of light as they pushed their hand forward, sending the swirling matter towards the group as a projectile. It his Jensen squarely in the chest, lifting him off his feet and sending him backwards, crashing into the wall before collapsing onto the ground unconscious.

“Nicolaj!”

Robert and Tristan rushed forward, the two youngest members of the team radiating concern for the midlaner. His clothes seemed to have scorched through where he had been hit – a deep purple bruise already in the process of forming.

“Oh my, is he okay? I’m sorry I just can’t help myself when people disrespect my authority.” They clicked their fingers and a new burst of matter appeared around the gloved hand. “Now, who is next – my dear Zachary is going to be so… depressed when he finds out what he is doing, to his so called friends.”

“Just stop it!” It was Eric that yelled this, teeth gritted, his hands shaking at his side. “Leave him alone, get out of him now!”

“Oh… oh you, oh I am going to enjoy this!” This time when he pushed his hands out, it stopped, the other hands wrapped around it’s wrist – pulling it down, sending the pulse of energy into the floor at his feet.

“No…”

“Excuse me.”

“No, I will not, I can’t… I am not hurting anyone!”

“How dare you!”

The air seemed to shift and move in front of them, it cracked with the purple matter that moved and swirled all around Zach. They watched as he seemed to have an argument with himself.

“Get out, get out… get out of my head!”

“You can not get rid of me – I am a part of you, I am darkness, I belong here.”

“No, no not anymore – that is not part of me anymore… no!” Zach stumbled backwards, placing a hand to his head and hissing in pain at the pressure that was crashing down around him. “No… no….”

“Zach?”

“Don’t, no… don’t get too close.” Zach threw his hands out towards Dennis as he walked towards him, whimpering as the purple light flickered and moved. Zach’s eyes glanced over at the still unconscious Jensen and tears began to well in them. “I don’t know if I can, I don’t’ want to hurt…”

“Zach you are not made of darkness, you can not be controlled, please, we’ve got you – we know you.”

Zach shook his head, shaking as he backed up, he could still hear her screaming in his head, he could feel the pull of power, the want to hurt was coursing through his veins. “No, no please.” As Zach’s back hit the wall, he slid down it, sitting on the back of his heels as he rocked back and forth, sniffing back tears.

Dennis had made his way slowly forward and was barley inches away, hand stretched out ready to place on the shaking shoulders of his friend – when Zach screamed. A burst of purple and black matter crashed through the room, the explosion of colour engulfing everyone.

**x-x-x**

The encasing black mist gave way to a burst of silver light – blinding yet calming, warm as it washed over him.

“You have to fight back, let the light grow, let it shine out.” The words echoed around his head, the kind wispy voice urging him on, giving him strength. “You can fight back this darkness, you can be the light your friend needs, that you all need…”

“I don’t understand, who are you – why are you…. why are you in my head?”

“I am you – open your eyes Dennis and you’ll see. The brightness, my light it is you.”

His eyes snapped open and he let out a deep shaky breath, he could barely believe the sight in front of him. A pulsing wall of light ebbed and waved in front of him, silver and white burst of colour swirling in it. The shield circled around the team, pushing away the dark matter that tried to break into it. The light held firm, not even flinching as it shielded those from harm.

“Dennis… what…. What did you do?”

“Why do you presume I did this?”

“You’re the one holding the glowing staff.”

Dennis almost dropped it in complete terror. Light bounced off the carved white wood that twisted and turned like tree branches, at the top a sunburst, laid with gold and silver. Golden leaves were etched in the staff, twisting up like vines.

“I don’t understand, how could I…” Dennis breathed out deeply, looking around the room – his eyes fell on Zach, unconscious on the floor, the dark matter still burst out of him – like whips trying to take hold of someone.

“Zach…” He rushed forward, the silver and white light following him as he did so. He had no idea what was happening or how, but none of that mattered. Not one bit, not when his friends need help.

“See this is why you are a perfect fit – why you are worthy of the light.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to, but know this, you can help him – is that enough.”

It was enough, Dennis realized as he reached Zach, stretching out a hand, wrapped in light the whips of purple seemed to disintegrate as they hit the light. Helping was enough, even through all the madness that was going on. As he clasped a hand around Zach, Dennis realized that his appearance, too, had changed. He was decked now in silver and cold, leaves and vines adorning the suit like vest and gloves. 

He pushed the panic to the back of his mind, he told the fear that he would deal with it later, all that mattered now, was Zach – and being there for him.

“Zach, hey – hey can you hear me?”

A small groan escaped his lips, and his eyes fluttered open, as he strained to open them – his whole body shaking. “Dennis is that, is that you…”

“Hey you, it’s alright, I’ve got you.”

Zach frowned, “What… what are you wearing?”

“Oh you’re one to talk.”

His face fell at this, looking down at his attire, the blacks and purples, his lip began to tremble, “Dennis I… I hurt… she, she is in my head and I don’t know if I can…”

“You can – because we are here…”

“I’m so tired but if I fall asleep…”

Dennis gripped Zach tightly at this, pulling him in for a tight hug, “If you fall asleep, I will be right here, protecting you.” He breathed out deeply as Zach sniffed at this, snuggling into the hug, gripping Dennis as if he was the only thing in the world holding him steady. “You rest – we will watch over you.”

**x-x-x**

The pain in his chest was something he had never felt before. It was if dread could hurt, as if fear itself was causing him pain. He didn’t want to open his eyes, he didn’t want to wake up, because terrified, scared of what the pain could mean. Fearful what he could see.

It burned but it was cold at the same time, every breath he took he could feel it – vibrating through his whole body, rippling through him – causing the burning sensation to crash through his entire being. The heat didn’t last long however, replaced by a cold freeze – a chill that caused shivers and his muscles to seize up.

Through the dim, through the coldness and the pain in his chest, he heard the sound of his name – worried voices, far away – like floating on the wind.

“Is he waking up… Jensen, Nicolaj – can you hear me?”

“He’s absolutely freezing, quick go and get something to warm he up we must…what, the wound, the wound is burning to the touch – but everything else…”

“Dude, after e everything else that we just saw – why are you surprised? Can you carry him?”

“Yeah, I have him – let’s get him somewhere comfortable.”

The clipped and worried voiced washed over him, like waves breaking on the beach, smashing into rocks. They meant nothing to him, all he wanted was to sleep, all he wanted was for the cold to numb the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please leave any comments or questions


	3. Cold Snap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and getting excited about this story :D I hope you all like this chapter too.  
> Fanatic make their appearance in this chapter :D

Zach slept through the night, not something he was expecting but a relief for him and everyone else as they worried about everything that had happened. Although Zach’s appearance had changed back to normal there were still signs of what had happened, the black burn marks on the wall, deep bruises up and down his arm. HI hair was the only thing that hadn’t changed back, deep purple hues flowing through the long waves – eerily similar to his Lux cosplay.

Jensen was still running cold, bitterly sharp to the touch to the team, the wound however, seemed to be healing, heat no longer came off it and the deep colours returning back to normal. In fact, apart from the unnaturally coldness of his skin Jensen seemed normal, like nothing had even happened. Robert stayed in his room with him however, concern still for his midlaner.

The rest of the team stayed with Zach, surrounding the sleeping AD in the lounge.

Dennis still held the staff and was still decked out in gold and silver, he still had the caring voice in his head.

“I must speak to all of you, but first let them rest – they need it.”

“Are we in danger?”

“You always have been, everyone is always in danger of darkness. Now, it is just a little more real than it normally is.”

Dennis sighed, leaning back into his chair and closing his eyes. He moved the staff around in his hands for a moment, not really knowing what to do with it, he decided on placing it across his lap – watching the light dance and bounce across the twisted wood.

“Are we going to be okay? Is everything going to turn out in the end?”

“If you stay together – there is nothing you can’t accomplish. Be strong, anyone can be anything – anyone can defeat anything, as long as you believe in each other and the power that you all have.”

Dennis shock his head, “I don’t want power – not like the power we have seen.”

A laugh echoed around his head and Dennis felt like a bit of his worries were lifted off his shoulders. “This is why you are worthy of it, because you don’t want it.”

Dennis rolled his eyes, collapsing back into his chair, “God that’s so cliché.”

“Huh – are you alright there Dennis?” The question came from Eric, who was sitting on the arm of the couch that Zach was sleeping on. Every few seconds his eyes would dart down to Zach in complete worry. “You should a little frustrated.”

“I am fine, you know – just having a conversation with the spirit inside my head, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Eric narrowed his eyes, “And this one… is nice?”

“I think so, yeah – it doesn’t feel like I’m being attached – I do not feel like I am being attacked.”

Eric made a humming sound at this before returning his attention back to Zach – a permanent frown on his face. They sat in silence for a long time, watching the clocks slowly tick by, gratefully taking the hot drinks that Tristan had taken the time out to make for everyone. They were watching, waiting for something to happen.

“Wait don’t we have something on today? Some kind of promotional material…”

“Yeah, although I am not sure being around anyone else is a good idea.” The comment came from the hallway – Jensen making his way into the room, a worried and fussing Robert moving behind him.

“Jensen you should be resting.”

“I feel fine – let me come and worry about my best friend in peace.”

“But you’re freezing.”

“No, I don’t know what you are talking about – I feel fine.”

Robert folded his arms across his chest and hissed in reply, “I can barely touch you – you are so darn cold.”

Jensen pouted at this, “Rude.” He slunk into the chair next to Dennis, looking him up and down. “Do I even want to know what this is all about?”

“Long story short Dennis is like, so good and nice that a spirit of light has kind of… taken over him – like the darkness one, only actually nice.”

“That is not quite correct, I would be happy to give you an explanation.” The words came out of Dennis but it certainly didn’t sound like him – they all tensed remembering what had happened with Zach. “Please, I understand your worry but I am not like my sister, I will not hurt and I do this with Dennis’s full consent.”

“Sister, that…. Thing, taking over Zach – is your Sister?”

“Light and Dark, yes – opposites, the two controlling the powers of the elements of the world. We used to be one… there was no distinction between the two – but then the world fell, darkness was created and we were split in two.”

“Why us?’

“All of the questions, all the of the confusion – and you ask that one – don’t you want to understand?”

Eric rolled his eyes, “Oh believe me – I have plenty of questions about that, but I know I probably won’t understand them. All I want to know is why this, why does Zach have to go through this? Why Dennis?”

A smile crossed their features and as they moved to get up, the fabric and colours of the suit shifted and moves, to form nothing but a swirling fabric, made of light and gold itself. “You’re not special – if that is what you are wondering.”

“Geez, thanks.”

“Every moment, ever, somebody is showing their inner elements, our actions are determined by them, are decisions, weather we know it or not – are a testament to them. Everyone has dark and light elements, no one is born bad, or born good… Anytime a horror on earth has happened, my sister has won – everything peace, a miracle happens, light has won. This is just one of those moments, were the fight is still happening, this moment may not define history – but it certainly will define you.”

“Even though Zach has…”

“Some secrets…” The staff glowed, washing the room in a warm, pulsing light, “And if he doesn’t face them soon, then he will fall prey to darkness and her grip. He needs to trust, he needs to forgive himself.”

These words were met with silence, a coldness rushing through the air as they all tried to process this.

“So, so Dennis is like… this light and can help, but what about the rest – do we just stand by and do nothing?”

“You all have your inner elements, and in time like this – in great need – when me or my sister have made ourselves known, they can manifest and take on some kind of physical form. If you really let yourselves be a certain part of yourself, then you can help – by using these.”

“This is beginning to sound like a really convoluted script to an unnecessarily complicated plot.”

“Life is complicated, sometimes you are just thrust into situations that make it more visible.” The laughed that echoed around the room at this was light, and seemed to make them feel better, “I hope that I have given some comfort – you must stay strong and be together.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I should not intrude on Dennis for too long, may I make one final suggestion however. Go about your daily lives, if you stop, if you hesitate – it only fuels the darkness more.”

“But what, what about the people we come across?”

“Well, perhaps they too, can lend some strength.” There was a burst of light and when it subsided, Dennis was back to normal, swaying slightly on his feet – only managing to stay upright due to the steady hand on his back. The only indication of the light ever having been there was a slight shimmer, that wrapped around Dennis like a curtain.

“Well that was confusing,” Tristan commented with a frown, “I am still not sure what to think.”

“If we… believe what we just heard, we just have to help Zach through whatever it is that he finds himself in.”

Jensen shook his head at Robert’s comment, “That is going to be easier said than done, believe me. I don’t know what brought it up but…” He swallowed, “It’s certainly something he hates about himself.”

Silence engulfed them again, fear seeming to wave and crash through them. One the couch, Zach stirred, shivering slightly before opening his eyes – blinking heavily.

“Hey… hey everyone, ah…” He noticed all of their faces, seeing the apprehension. “Please don’t tell me I hurt someone again?”

**x-x-x**

It had taken them awhile to convince each other, mainly Zach, that they should go to the promotional shot that they had scheduled. In the end it had been the thought of having to explain to everyone else why they didn’t want to go swayed them even more. That and the constant reassurances to Zach that he was fine and that they were with him no matter what.

Zach tried not to flinch when Reapered commented how he liked what he had down to his hair, even if it wasn’t permanent and he stuck to his team like glue, clinging to one of them at every moment. This was normally Jensen as Zach continuously apologized for what had happened.

“You really need to stop, you were under the mind control of the pure essence darkness of the entire world – it is not your fault.”

“Ah seeming the reason said essence was able to control me was because of something…. Because I am dark and full of… look it just was my fault okay – it happened, let me apologize for it.”

“Zach… what happened, what your past… that doesn’t define what kind of person you are.”

“Yes it does.”

“I have no idea what I just heard, because I am pretty sure what I did was utter nonsense.” The two turned at the sound of the voice, trying to keep their demeanour calm at the sight of the Fanatic jungler. The rest of the European team making their way over behind them.

Broxah folded his arms across his chest, his mind flickering over what he had just heard. Seeing the tense and almost fearful look on Jensen’s face, and how pale Zach was, he figured there actually was something to it. “Are you… are you okay?”

“Fine.” Jensen lied and Zach found himself having to pull away from him as a burst of coldness crashed through the midlaner. “We are fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” The comment came from Martin, the ADC glancing at the rest of C9 as they appeared. “You all look the opposite of fine.”

“Well,” Jensen bristled and the temperature in the air dropped. “Even if it we were not fine, it certainly wouldn’t be any of your business now would it?” Everyone in the hallway actually flinched at this, with a sigh Dennis walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Nicolaj, cool it – and no I don’t mean that literally.”

“I don’t… we can’t…”

“I know,” Dennis’s words came out in rushed out Danish, “the less people that get involved in this potentially deadly, magical, fucking confusing fight the better, but we can’t just…”

“Ah – you do remember I am here – right?” Rasmus frowned at the two of them. The midlaner perfectly understanding the Danish. “You want to run that whole deadly fight for survival by us again?”

“No.” Jensen muttered, “No we really don’t want to.”

“But you should.”

“But we won’t,” It was Eric that answered, nodding his head to the direction of the stage that would be playing on in a few days, “Now come on, we have cheesy promotional pictures to take.”

The concern for the team had turned to anger at their stubbornness, “why the hell won’t you tell us.” Martin’s words were cut off by a booming sound, like a far-off explosion. Black and purple mist began to swirl around them, the team immediately turned to Zach – who whimpered and collapsed, falling into Eric’s arms.

“Zach!”

In response to this, a cruel laugh echoed around the walls, carried by the black mist.

“Dennis, go back to be with Zach, you can protect him.” 

Everyone ran back to Zach, the anger switching back to concern, that concern to fear and uncertainty. Jensen stayed where he was, back turned to everyone, shaking slightly – eyes focused on the halls in front of him – where the mist was coming from, where he could hear the voice. 

“Jensen what are you…”

“Something is coming, I can…” He breathed out deeply – as the black mist as it began to take shape, a take shape – a form, some kind of animals, some kind of beast. “No, I…”

“Decide – decide now, the cold and chill of the wind comes from the dark will you serve it.”

“Never.” A burst of ice crashed through the hallway, pushing back those of them that were beginning to make their way over to help Jensen. When the misted ice dissipated, Jensen had changed – shifted.

Looking at him now you could mistake him for a dancer, shredded blue fabric wrapped up and down his legs and arms. Shifting armour, blue tinted metal forming a crystal; like dress. Ice frosted in Jensen’s hair and a small crown of frosted crystal sat atop his head.

“Nicolaj he…”

“He looks like, like a ballet dancer or...”

“Someone that can move and dodge easily, sounds about right.”

“You all seem way to calm regarding this…” Ramus voice shock, his complete bewilderment evident. “This is not normal.”

“Not the first time – if we freaked out every time it wouldn’t be very helpful.”

In front of them, Jensen ducked, shifting his feet and dipping down, the creature who had pounced, flew over his head. Now running towards the others – it was stopped in it’s tracks by an encasing circle of ice, that moved and glistened. It tightened, crashing into the creature and pulling it back, away from the others.

“No, you don’t – no one gets to my friends, not while I’m here.”

“Nicolaj…” The quiet comment came from Zach, who was shaking, the purple matter encasing him once again – crashing out in large whips before pulling back to spiral around him. “She’s… she’s here and I can’t I…”

“Zach you’re stronger than her.”

“I’m not, I can’t…” He whimpered, pressing tightly into his team as all of the purple matter shock and shivered. With a ferocious rumble all of the black and purple mist and matter flew up into the ceiling, cracking it, infusing it, turning it brittle and dangerous.

As the others all began to back away, helping each other move down the corridor, heading to safety. Jensen stood in the middle, staring up a ceiling with a glare. In his hands, a long rod of ice shimmered, the white blue ice showing shifting blue water trapped inside it.

“Nicolaj! What the hell are you doing?” It was Martin that yelled this, leaving his team to move towards Jensen. “Leave it, it can’t hurt anyone if there is no one here.”

“Yes it will, it can’t stay here.”

“What are you going to it anyway it’s not like…”

“Shut it, this is why we didn’t want to tell you… I don’t need your negativity.”

“You know what else you don’t’ need – your stubbornness and disregard for your own self.”

“You’re not helping!”

By this time, Martin had reached him, grabbing Jensen by the shoulder and spinning him around, “Stop it with the hero complex already.”

At this, the ceiling gave way the black mist crashing and rumbling, concrete, wood, metal all falling down – shifting in the mist and somehow all converging in one place. Right on top of where the two of them were standing. The yell of their names was drowned out by the rushing sound of the collapsing ceiling.

Jensen grabbed Martin with one hand pushing him behind him and brandished the rod in the other, gripping it tightly.

“Do you – do you know what you’re doing?”

“Not a clue.” He thrusts the rod into the air, hoping beyond anything that something, anything would work. The hallway was once again washed in cold light, blue and white crashing into purple and black.


	4. Mysterious Powers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to read this - sorry this update has taken longer than usual. Life is pretty dramatic at the moment D:  
> The relationship of the story is revealed in this chapter - keep a close eye out for it!

The bright lights disappeared to the sight of Jensen and Martin still standing in the hallway, misted ice swirling around both of them. The collapsed roof was frozen above their heads, encased in a cruel and crunching  
Ice that looked just as dangerous, if not more than the darkness that was trapped inside it.

“You… how, how did you do that – how in the world?”

“You’re seriously asking me, it’s not like I knew this was going to happen, or even if I could…” Jensen shook his head, looking up at the ice. The last part of the roof barley inches away from them, turning into a menacing spike of ice. “I am not that strong.”

“Apparently you are.”

“Please don’t start arguing with me again.” Jensen sounded exhausted, shuddering slightly. “That was not me, I can’t do that…. I am not that strong, or anything…”

“Maybe…” It was Dennis that spoke up, his words seeming to hold a kind of air and mystery to them. “It’s like what she said, all of us have an element in us… Jensen, you’re feeding off his – it’s gave you enough power to do that… it’s the whole similar personality traits thing.”

“Huh?” Jensen just blinked, looking out to the frozen sheets of ice in front of him – the roof that had been inches away from falling on top of Martian. The fanatic AD eyes were quickly moving from the frozen ice to Jensen, not sure which one he wanted to focus on. “That makes a little bit of sense but...”

His voice trailed off as he walked forward to the large section of ice, hand shaking as he reached out and touched it with just his fingertip. The staff in his hand glowed and mist swirled around him – the ice shattering, evaporating into place as glittering particles fell around them like silver ash. He breathed out deeply taking a few steps away as his whole body began to shake slightly.

“Nicolaj? What the hell did you just do…”

“I… I don’t…”

Jensen stumbled slightly on his feet, a hand to his forehead as his clothes returned to normal, everything reverting back with a blast of cold air and a glint of blue and white light. He felt it coming before it happened, but as his breath caught in his throat he wasn’t able to call out a warning. Jensen fell backwards unconscious.

Luckily Martian had chosen to focus on Jensen, mainly because of the way he had sounded so tired. He moved just in time to catch him before he hit the ground, he held the midlaner in his arms bridal style and walked back to the rest of their teams. A frown on his face, his eyes set in anger.

“Okay, can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“You don’t deserve to know, none of you do.” The words came from Zach, but once again they were not in his own voice. “Understanding how the universe works, that right is not for the likes of you, for the weak…” Zach groaned, pushing away from Eric shaking. “I’m sort I… fuck that wasn’t… I’m sorry…”

Silence fell on them, shock, confusion.

“Maybe we should go somewhere more comfortable – to talk?”

The C9 team looked at each, as much as they wanted to not have anyone else involved, to keep people safe, that ship had sailed a long time ago. There was no way out of this now, and they knew it.

**x-x-x**

The two teams found themselves in one of the larger watching rooms, the still unconscious Jensen was placed on a couch in hopes to make him more comfortable. Zach kept himself as far away from everyone as he could – hating the harsh and sneering words that came out of his mouth. There was nothing he could do to stop it.

Every time he said something it was followed by an apology, pressing himself further away from them – shaking his head.

“And that pretty much is the whole story.” Dennis had tried his best to catch up the members of Fanatic as toe what had happened. “Now you understand as much as we do, which I will admit, is still not that much.”

“You’re right, I am just confused now – maybe even more so.” Martin wrinkled his nose, “But one thing you are saying… that I somehow, helped? I don’t even know how that would work…”

“So yeah, your inner element is also much be ice and somehow Jensen taped into it… or something, something like that…” Tristan looked just as confused as Martin felt. “But whatever the reason, he had enough strength to stop the attack.”

“Oh, how cute, you all think you’re safe – foolish humans.” The cold chuckled came from Zach, the sneer turning almost immediately into a pained grimace. “Stop threatening my friends!”

“No, I will not, it’s quite enjoyable… and oh so deliciously cruel. Just how you like it.” Zach just shook his head at this, not having another comeback for the dark voice that was taking over him. He just sighed, and pulled himself as tightly together as he possibly could. 

“Cruelty is not something I would attribute to you Zach.”

“Well I guess I’ve done a good job hiding it, haven’t I…? I am not a good person, I am not nice, not at all. How could I be when I…”

“Self-defence.” The words came from Jensen, who had woken up on the couch. “Pretty sure what you did, that so-called darkness of whatever you want to call it, was self-defence.”

There was a small beat in which Zach stared at Jensen, letting out a deep, shaking breath before replying, “Doesn’t make it right.”

“No, but it does mean that it was wrong either.”

Zach sighed and rolled his shoulders back, black and purple mist leaving his body, He seemed more relaxed as he finally moved off the floor and joined the others. “It’s going to take a bit for more to believe that.” He sunk into the chair next to Eric and gave the top-laner a small smile.

Eric shuffled over slightly, smothering him in a tight hug. “You take as long as you need, we will be waiting for you, with you, to help in anyway that you can. And when you’re ready, we’ll listen.”

Zach sunk into the hug, sighing softly, “It’s not over, she had else, I can hear it – I can almost see it, some other kind of plan… she did something, to… the area – to that ice, something cruel…”

“You don’t worry about that – you just worry about continuing to fight her off.”

“Fighting, feels like I have done a lousy job at that.”

It was Robert that answered, a large grin on his face as he did so, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, none of us are dead yet – I call that a win.”

Zach mumbled slightly, the sound coming off as a wistful laugh. He moved further into the hug with Eric, looking wearily around the room at everyone gathered. “I...”

“If you’re going to apologize again, save it. You don’t need to,” Jensen shook his head at Zach and pulled himself off the couch, stumbling his way over to Zach. “Don’t ever apologize to us, for anything that this is… if anything, you need to apologize and forgive yourself.”

“Yeah like that is going to happen anytime soon.” He frowned, looking his best friend over now that he was closer to him. “Nicolaj, you’re bleeding.”

The midlaner blinked, confused. “I am? I didn’t even notice.”

Zach pulled himself up, out of the hug with Eric and pressed his lips together in concern. He taped Jensen on the forehead softly, “It’s frozen in place…” At Zach’s touch, the blood unfroze, water mixing with the blood as is began running down Jensen’s forehead. Zach flinched as Jensen reeled backwards slightly as if it had caused him pain. “Sorry, sorry I didn’t realize that would…”

“It’s fine, really.” He wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. “I guess it’s good now I at least know about it.” The blood seemed to be coming from an injury across his hairline, now that the ice had melted that had been holding it back, the blood seeped through his hair. It turned a rustic red and began to drip down his forehead.

“Ah, how did this even happen?”

“Well, you know, when you don’t even know if you can stop a ceiling from falling down you take precautions, and it’s a good thing I did because it seemed the ice missed a spot.”

“Wait – is that why you pushed me sideways at one point, well, held me sideways, like behind you…”

“I did? Oh I don’t remember that,” The tone of Jensen’s voice said otherwise as he looked everywhere but Martin who was currently glaring at him.

“Are you this infuriating all the time?”

“Only when I’m being a stubborn idiot,”

“So pretty much all the time then?” Eric commented causing a pout from Jensen as he let his toplaner inspect his injury. Eric muttered a soft apology as Jensen cringed, the pain spiralling through his whole head. “Well, at least the ice has kept it clean, it looks like a pretty clean cut too, not too deep to cause too much damage...” Eric’s voice trailed off slightly as he concentrated on the injury.

Jensen found that the touch of his fingers no longer hurt instead it was more a numbing sensation.

“Geeze Eric, since when did you get so knowledgeable about such thing?” Trista asked the comment in a teasing tone, but as he turned to look at his friends his voice trailed off before taking on a completely different tone, shock, confusion, with a hint of concern. “Um Eric, you might want to… ah look, look at what you’re doing?”

Eric blinked, his eyes widening at the sight of the purple and pink lights that were shift from his fingertips over Jensen’s injuries. The light glistened with silver dust, moving and twisting as if it was the wind itself. Over time the brightness of the light diminished, changing to just a soft glow that washed over Eric’s hands. He pulled back, examining them in confusion while Jensen, at the same time, ran a hand over his head.

“I think, wow Eric, I think you healed me! It’s gone and I feel, like, refreshed or something.”

Eric hadn’t heard him, still focused on lights in his hands, he felt a weird pulling sensation flowing through him, for a moment Eric felt like he was floating.

“Eric are you, are you alright?”

“I – I don’t know…”

Before he could say anything else a great growl echoed around the room, shaking all of them. Without warning the creature that Jensen thought he had dealt with leaped into the room, splintering the wood and metal of the wall as it crashed through it. It growled at them all, the sound rattling them.

“Fuck, really now!”

The creature growled once more and lunged. Not knowing how or why he did it, Eric seemed to move through both Zach and Jensen to stand right in front of them – the coloured lights that were sparking in his hands burst to wash over his entire body.

“Eric!”

A crash of colour engulfed them all and glass shattered in all different directions, sending the creature backwards, whisking into black and purple smoke.

“Eric, Eric you… wow.”

Large wings, almost as big as the entire room, spanned out from Eric made of crystal and glass. They blinked and shifted in purple and pink, looking much like a galaxy. The wings were curved inwards, shielding everyone in the room. Eric himself hadn’t changed much, his hair the main difference, suddenly longer in length it sat atop his head in a pony tail. The colours matched those of the glass wings.

“Ah this is new.” Eric shifted, trying to move the wings, however they wouldn’t shift too much, the weight of the glass too heavy. “Oh, I…huh.”

“You know what – I’m done, I give up.”

“What?”

“I think I just need to stop trying to understand what the fuck is going on and go with it.” Ramus was staring at the glass wing in both awe and fear, as if not knowing that they were a good thing or not. “I mean is this… is this going to just keep happening for you – this week, even longer…”

“Only,” Zach sighed, his voice shaking, “Only for as long as I… I’m holding everything in. Until admit it, out loud.”

“Admit what, exactly?”

This comment caused Zach to laugh, his voice cracking, a whisper, cruel and uncaring echoing through his head. The word being said over and over to him, the silky voice causing pain to crash through him.

“Murderer.”

**x-x-x**

They had already all agreed to forgo the promotional material for the day, rescheduled for tomorrow in hopes that things might nor be so crazy. The broken ceiling and destroyed room were chalked down to some kind of gas malfunction, an explosion in the pipes. After a long few hours of talking and lying to everyone that questioned them, they weren’t going to argue realizing, it was a way better and easier explanation.

Eric’s wings had shattered the moment someone walked into the room, showering them in pink and purple sand and they had returned to their respective hotels. Fanatic didn’t really want to leave the team after seeing and hearing what they had but, in the end, it was Dennis that managed to reassure them.

When the team got back to the hotel, they asked him about it and Dennis had just shrugged.

“I told them that we will just keep them updated. They’re all just worried is all, but we will see them again tomorrow.”

“Do we have though? It seems like it will be unhelpful…”

“Light told us to go about our daily lives Zach, I don’t understand it but we have to try.”

“I just don’t want to hurt anyone else, I just… don’t want to be the reason that…”

“Hey,” Robert moved forward, placing his hands-on Zach’s shoulder and shaking him slightly. “What have we told you time and time again. You are strong, and we trust you – so even if you can’t trust yourself right now – trust us.”

Zach moved forward, breathing deeply into a tight hug. “I can do that… I do trust you, all of you.” He said it, but inside, somewhere, he didn’t mean it – he couldn’t get passed it. He may trust his team, more than anything in the world – but he knew he would be kidding himself if he thought he was strong enough to get through this. And by the look that he was getting from him as he looked up from the hug, he wasn’t hiding it that well.

Later that night he knocked on his door, light and hesitant, the sound of him running quickly to answer it telling him it was like almost expected him to come. A small smile on his face as he let him in and immediately feel into a hug with Zach who started shaking in his arms. Sniffing softly as the tears began forming in his eyes as the thoughts of last night, and every moment after it came crashing through his head.

“I don’t… I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Yes, you can, you’re strong enough to fight through this, you have done so before.”

“Strong… strong would not be letting it get to me, strong would be dealing with it I…”

“No one else knows, do they? Except Jensen I presume, from what he said – he knows everything?”

Zach nodded, still clinging to the hug, “I can’t have hidden it from him for so long… and then there’s you.” He looked up at this and gave him a smile, “Couldn’t really hide it from you, could I? I’m sorry, really… for burdening you with that and I.”

“No, hey… no. I am so grateful that you trusted me, so grateful that you let me in – Zach, it’s hard – but this is a part of you – whatever this thing is has no right to do this to you – whatever is going on… you can face it.”

“I’m scared… scared of waking up and not being me – scared of hurting you all… scared I’m going insane.”

He leaned down and kissed him softly, before pulling him back into a hug. “I swear I will do all in my power to keep you safe – to make you feel safe. I’ve got you, tonight and any other night that you need me – I’ve got you.”

“Does this mean I can stay here tonight?”

“That was kind of the idea yeah, come on.” He pulled him over to the bed where they lay down together, wrapping him up in his arms and letting Zach cling to him as much as possible. Zach shivered and flinched under him, as if expecting the pain and nightmares to return when he slept.

“I’ve got you – Zach I’ve got you.”

He fell asleep to the sound of his reassuring voice, and the glint of pink and purple light that seemed to surround them in a protective shield. That night there were no whispers, no screams – no darkness. She stood over them, her hands stretched out wanting to touch him but not being able to – something barring her from making contact. A frown on her face, her frustration growing, her patience wearing thin.

“Clever my boys, clever… but I still rule this darkness, I still own this power.” She trailed her fingers across the light shield that was over the two sleeping figures, her nails leaving trails of pink sparks across that flickered in and out of the room. “I will get what I want, and nothing as simple and powerless as love will stop me.”


	5. Heat and Horror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all that are still reading - this chapter we finally get to see a little bit about Zach's past :O

Zach was supposed to have slept through the night, not once did Darkness come into his dreams, not once did he hear her whispering. He would chalk it up to Eric and how he seemed to have protected him through the evening. He had sneak off quickly in the morning not wanting something else to add to the list of things he had to explain to his team. Luckily, he was the first one up, being in the main lounge of the apartment as the rest of the team filled in.

“Hey you, how are you feeling this morning?” Tristan was the first one up and to ask the question, nervous and concern for his laning partner and close friend. 

“I’m okay, actually – no – no crazy dreams, no whispering I just slept.”

“Good maybe that means something?”

“I think all it means is that something or someone was protecting me.” Zach glanced over at Eric and added, “you helped keep her at bay.”

“We can help keep her at bay Zach, but you – you’re the only one that can fully stop her from taking over.” Dennis’s voice trailed off slightly and he blinked, “I’m sorry, I don’t think those were my own words.”

“You are right Dennis, or she is… I need to be honest, I need to admit a few things.” A silence fell over the room, Zach’s words hanging in the air. “I’m just… so, so damn scared about what you will all think of me…” Zach had been feeling completely fine the whole morning, but as soon as the very thought it sharing everything came up, he completely shut down.

He watched as his shaking hands were wrapped in purple fabric, gloves forming over them once more. “I can’t be hated, no, no, not by you – not by the people the people that mean the most.”

“Hey, hey… where is all that confidence that was there moments ago huh?” Robert came over, shifting slightly from foot to foot, his eyes focused on the purple and black fabric that was shifting around Zach, transforming into the dress and feathers. “You’ve got this we’ve got this and nothing, nothing you can ever say will change what we think of you?”

“What… what if I told you, I killed someone?” Zach’s eyes were filled with tears as he looked up at the young jungler, “What would you say then?” Zach’s words caused silence to filter through the room, as they watched Zach clothes shift back into the dark colours.

“What do you all think…” The sultry voice was back, this time holding as air of smugness, “Oh dear, Zach’s belonging to the dark now?”

“I think…” Eric’s voice cut into the silence a defiant glare at his face, “That you need to leave and let us talk to Zach.”

“You can’t protect him forever, lovely.”

Eric’s face was set, “Watch me.”

She just laughed at this, rolling his shoulders and closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes, it was Zach again, he shivered slightly before looking around in confusion if not realizing the conversation that had just happened.

“I… don’t… I don’t know…”

“Zach,” Robert moved over, engulfing Zach in a hug and squeezing tightly, “We’re not going anywhere. Take all the time you need and we will be right here, we will wait.”

“Even, even after knowing…. Knowing that I killed someone?”

“I’m wiling to bet it’s not so simple as that.”

Zach breathed out deeply shifting in his seat as Robert pulled out of the hug giving him space. He had blurted out the main part of it, why not tell them the whole story?

“It, it was an accident and it was…” He looked up at this, receiving a reassuring nod from Jensen, “And it was self-defence, for me… for me and my sister.”

“Someone, was hurting her?”

“A teacher, who was apparently there to help her with some kind of assignment, but you can guess what he really wanted, what his plan was.” Zach breathed deeply, trying to stop the images in her head. “I… I walked in one day after school and he had his hands on here and I just… I lost it. I barley remember doing it but we get into a fight and I pushed him and…”

He chocked, tears falling from his eyes, “And he fell and didn’t get back up – accident or not, I killed someone and still, even to his day – I feel no remorse from it.” Zach wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled his knees up his chest only then noticing change of attire, “that – that makes me a bad person that mean I belong to the dark…”

His words fell into the empty room, silence their only companion for a long time. 

“I’ve said it… so many times, but you what happened to you that day. It snacks and it’s not fair and you shouldn’t have had to carry this all on your own.” Jensen shifted over to him kneeling down beside Zach. “But you don’t have to him, kneeling down beside Zach. “But you don’t have to carry it alone anymore, it maybe something that we can understand. That small, that tiny part of your life may live in darkness – but the rest of you doesn’t have to be…”

“Nico…”

“And even if you feel like you have to, for now, well – let us light up that dark for you.”

“You, you all think that, none of you… none of you hate me?”

“Zach, none of us could even imagine having to go through that. To make such a hopeless decision, who would we be to judge, knowing what kind of person you are now.” Tristan shock his head. “If we ran away, if we hated you for something like that – then it truly would be us that belonged in the dark.”

“Tristan and Jensen have said it all dude, I’m not going anywhere and I don’t know how much help I could be but I will do all I can to help.” Robert gave him a small smile, the youngest member of the team looking obviously shocked but also determined. “We’re a team Zach, more than that we are a family. And families deal with shit like this together.”

“Together?” A true smile ghosted across Zach’s face and he couldn’t help but glance over at Eric, who was smiling at him in a kind of sappy-proud way. “I think, together is what I really need right now.”

“Good, because you’re not getting rid of us that easy.”

**x-x-x**

Walking past the destroyed hallway and room was almost like walking past some kind of dystopian world of some sort. It didn’t feel real, even though they were there, they had all seen it with his own eyes. Everyone else around them talked about broken pipes and accidental explosions. While they wondered if something was going to happen today, if everything was okay and if they could help in anyway. They were shown into a different room, far away from the one that had been blocked off.

“I’m surprised they let us back in, especially seeming they are going with the whole broken gas pipes thing.” Mads rolled his shoulders, the Fanatic jungler holding the door open for his team. “I suppose everything must go on, nothing can stop it from happening, but still it’s a little…”

“Un-nerving, I agree.” Rasmus shock his head, “But it’s not like we can just say no and not come and besides I want to know if they are okay.”

“You and me both,” Martin commented with a grimace as they all took seats in the room. He began moving his hands twisting around him, staring at them with a frown.

“Still trying to conjure ice from thin air? Pretty sure you need Nicolaj around for that.”

Martin wrinkled his nose, “But why not?”

“Because, I don’t think this is our fight. Maybe one day we will have one, but this is not our, we just happen to be here…”

“And yet you still insist in getting in my way. Now why don’t you just hang back and enjoy the show.” The comment came from the back of the room, out of the dark shadows behind them. The words alone silky, cruel, it seemed to both echo around the room cruel, it seemed to both echo around the room and around their heads at the same time.

Black and purple swirled the room, the team weary of it, knowing that it was a lot more dangerous than it looked. It was more a solid than a gas, crashing in the room, scraping against the walls. 

“Still, you can be a nice distraction foe me, a reminder of darkness.”

“What do you mean, what do you want?”

“My hold over the boy is slipping, it’s time to get a little bit back by creating some chaos and a bit of heat.”

At this the mist began to glow, orange and red colours surged through it as the mist turned to flames. Heat crashed and burst through the room. The fire immediately taking spark against the wood.

“Thank you for this opportunity for being my bait – I hope you enjoy the show… if you can stay alive that long.”

**x-x-x**

Zach felt it the moment he walked into the area, something was off – something felt wrong. He was wearing a larger than normal team hoddie, trying to hide the purple and black leather and feathers that were underneath. His head was spinning, a weird kind of floating feeling filled him. He almost felt like he was somewhere else, like he was in two separate places at once.

“Something… something doesn’t feel right – I’m… feeling like I, I’m doing something wrong.”

“By just being here?”

“No by…”

Zach breathed out deeply as something hit him, his stomach twisting as in his mind he saw something, in his mind he saw heat and flame. And he heard laughing – and he felt flames lick at his skin. He almost collapsed to ground in pain and shock, using all the strength he could come with he stayed on his feet and tried to regain the picture of what he had just seen in his head. He needed to know where he was going.

With a sudden yell Zach quickly ran through the corridors, ignoring his team as they called out his name. He didn’t even check to see if they were following him, instead he made his way through the arena, past the destroyed hallway and room, past those confused people watching him – quickly to the over end where he could sense it, feel it – hear the words that he was saying to them.

When he reached the door, Zach went to throw it open, but immediately reeled back at the black mist that crashed through it and smothered him – wrapping around his arms and wrists. He would not be the one to save them, no he was the one that had put them in danger in the first place.

“Guys! Guys please open the door – please be okay, I’m sorry I…”

“Zach!” The chorus of his name rang through as the team made there way over to the door, “Thank goodness you are alright – we thought with this happening you might have been hurt.” The one who spoke was Ramus, the midlaner looking Zach up and down, noting the shades of black and purple poking out from under the jersey. “You aren’t hurt – are you?”

“You’re asking me – you’re the one stuck in a burning room?”

“We’re…. fine.” Martin’s words were cut in and out with coughs as he swiped away the black smoke that was billowing around them. “I mean, not really – but we’re fine.”

“Then What the hell are you waiting for,” By now the rest of the team had made there way to the room, shock at what they were seen, fear catching them as they realized this could well be all their fault for getting them mixed up in their trouble. “Get out of there!”

“We can’t – the door, it’s stuck shut – almost like it welded or being held…” Martin coughed violently, the smoke entering his lungs, shaking slightly, “Being held closed, somehow I don’t…” His voice trailed off into coughs once more and the team surrounded him concern.

“I... it’s me, well it’s her – she did this, I heard her in my head and now…” Zach looked down at his hands, black and purple tendrils coming out from his hands and wrapping around the door, they then glowed red and orange, merging with the metal. “I can’t stop it I… I don’t know how…”

Their view of the room disappeared as smoke crashed up – black and billowing it was all they could see, and the shocked yells behind the smoke was all they could hear. Fear gripped them all, not knowing what to do and if they could help.

“I…” Jensen stiffened, and he actually stepped back. “I can feel the heat – and it’s stifling -it actually hurts.”

“Yeah well fire and ice don’t really go well together Nico.”

“We do.”

“What, Robert what are you…” Tristan’s eyes widened at the sight of the young jungler, his hands glowed slightly. Heat washing off him and causing the air to shift and move. “Wait you?” 

“Fire, destructive for all things in its path – friend or foe… no matter where it goes, sound familiar?” Robert gave a laugh, walking over to the door as his hands glowed red and orange, the same washed colours of the flames engulfing the room. Breathing deeply, he placed a hand on the metal door, showing no sign of feeling the heat like the others had. “Made of flames, maybe – I don’t know… but maybe I can help.”

And they watched, in shock, as the door began to melt under his hands.


	6. Storm Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a horrible person, please don't hate me for how long this has taken! D: Being an actual adult sucks sometimes and you have to put aside things that you actually like doing for things you don't haha. Rest assured this WILL be finished, it might just be a bit slow from here on out...

Roberts body was engulfed in the flames as he moved through the door – the fire didn’t even hurt him, it was like a pleasant cooling sensation.

“Wait, what?”

“After everything, now – you’re going to start questioning?” The C9 jungler shock his head at the European team, who were looking at him in horror. “Now, get out I… I think I can stop it.”

They made their way out and around him, Mads stopping for a split second, placing a hand through Robert’s fire, making a small humming sound as the flames didn’t hurt him. Robert just chuckled, turning to address his team. 

“Dennis, do you think you can make a shield like you did, I don’t know if I can do this without it fully breaking out.”

“Yeah, yeah I can try.” Dennis scrunched up his face and concentrated, a flicker of light formed in front of him, it shifted in and out of existence before solidifying with a crackle of silver light. “There we go, I think that will hold – yes… yes I am certain it will.”

“I can help too,” Eric commented from behind them, where he was holding a shaking Zach. “If it comes down to it.” You could tell from the tone of his voice that he would rather not leave Zach’s side however.

Robert turned his attention back to the fire, the flames crashing all around him. He glanced down at his hands, were flames also danced and concentrated, willed them to merge together, for the ones dancing around to join the one in his hands. It almost felt like the flames had merged with his skin, which when he thought about it more, Robert realized was a big possibility. If the others have changed, forming clothes of light and armour of ice, then why couldn’t he suddenly have skin of fire?

The flames in the room roared, moving quickly and dangerously through the room. “Hey, hey there… easy now, easy.” As Robert spoke, the flames dance slowed down, as if captive by his words. “Please, listen to me… please stop destroying…”

They roared, exploding all around in the same direction, sucking up all the oxygen in the air, the numerous flames changed into one single ribbon of fire that twirled and twirled around him. Robert tried to ignore the screaming in his lungs, the flames chocking him, “Please, please don’t be used by the dark – please just let me…” He breathed in, trying his best to get oxygen but only receiving a lung full of smoke and ash. 

Placing a hand into the ribbon of fire, he closed his eyes, forcing himself to push of the sleep and pain to the back of his mind. “Let me help you… please stop hurting my friends… please.”

There was a implosion in the air, heat crashing through as the ribbon spun further around, spinning faster and faster wrapping around him tightly. Squeezing tightly, Robert cried out in pain, his head and lungs screaming.

“Robert! No!” Tristan stepped forward with Dennis, the shield up as they watched the young jungler collapse to the ground. The flames began moving further still, until it was like a whirlwind, spinning in the air. Then, it stilled, lingering in the air for a moment before disappearing, leaving nothing behind but a charred room and black shrouds of ash.

Robert lay still on the ground, flames still adorning him, a part of his skin as they formed a solid pattern of weaved and intertwined cloth. Dennis dropped the shield, sensing the immediate danger was gone and they rushed forward. Tristan immediately reeled backwards as he tried to pick up his team-mate.

“I can’t even touch him, he’s burning up so much it actually hurts.”

“Here, allow me – I think I will be okay.” The fanatic jungler moved forward, kneeling down to take the younger player in his arms. “See, it feels cold to me, almost calming.”

“Hmm, must be something to do with being the same core element.” Dennis thoughtfully commented, his hand itching at his side, wanting more than anything to reach out and take his team-mate’s hand. “Is he… is he okay?”

“I think so, he seems to be breathing normally. I think maybe he just over-exerted himself.” Mads nodded toward Nicolaj as he added, “Like what happened to you, hopefully he just needs rest.”

“Well good luck, my dears, at finding that.” The sultry voice was back and as Zach pushed himself away from Eric, the large coat fell away, revealing the dark leather and feathers underneath. “Oh, you were all so worried about Robert, all concentrated on my little fire display…. You just let me slip by.”

“Zach?”

“Zachary is not here right now, he’s just having a little nap right now. I am back in control.”

“I don’t believe you, Zach trusted us with the darkness he thought he had, but we are still here, we still care about him…. We trust him and believe in him – you can’t be in control!”

“Really, if I wasn’t in control would I be able to do this.” In a quick motion, the purple matter appeared in their hands and they flung it to the side, hitting Eric square in the chest, causing him to double over in pain. “Dear Zachary would never hurt his protector, his dearest – but oh, look what I just did.”

“Get…” Eric tried his best to breath through the pain, gritting his teeth, members of both teams helping him to his feet. “Get out of him – leave him alone!”

“Oh no, I am not leaving, not again. I really like this little stew-pot of darkness; besides, it is you – that should leave!” They threw their arm out again, although this time Dennis was ready for it – building up a barrier. The dark matter merely fizzled out as it hit the light.

“Everyone get behind me, now.” Dennis had transformed again, the shifting, glowing fabric of gold and silver around him. Those that had seen it before knew that this was now Dennis, but the light.

“Dearest Sister, how come when you take over someone it is okay – but when I do it, I’m a monster.”

“I am here with full consent Sister, I do not force and destroy my way into people. Now let Zachary go, and leave these people in peace. Our war does not concern them.”

“War Sister? No, it is not to me – just you. I am just here to have a little fun!” They threw out a larger energy blast, that vibrated through the room as the light barrier shock on impact. “Fun which I sadly need to cut short. Goodbye, I will see you when you least expect it.”

“No – don’t you dare, don’t you even… damn it!” Before their very eyes, the darkness and Zach disappeared, whisking into nothingness, a stunned silence filling the air. Confusion, fear, anger, crackling om the atmosphere.

“What… what no, no where…. Where did she go… where did she take him?”

“I’m sorry, I am truly sorry – but it seems her strength. Zach might be too far gone, if she can do that, you might not be able to get him back.”

“Don’t you dare say that!” Nicolaj yelled angrily at Dennis, or more so – the sister of light, as he yelled, as his anger grew, the temperature in the air dropped. “Don’t you dare tell me to give up on Zach, don’t you dare give up on him. He needs us more than ever, we are not going to just stop because of something new. This is just another small thing, another, weird… strange thing.” His eyes glowed with a bright fury. “He’s my best friend, I will not give up him.”

Bright, almost white eyes stared at him for a moment, “Good, no one should be given up on.”

“But… but you just said…”

“Sometimes to see someone’s true feelings, and weather they live in the light, you must mention the dark… you must strike a nerve.”

“That’s a little manipulative… especially for the light?”

“Have you not heard of the phrase, a trick of light?” The smile, was face was unreadable, “I must go, I do not like keeping Dennis for too long. Stay together – stay strong, fight for those you love.” With a blink of light, Dennis returned to normal, swaying slightly on the spot as all his energy seemed to leave him.

“Whoa, I think I need to sit down before I fall down.” He muttered, steadying himself on the wall beside him. “I know we should be looking for Zach, but I….”

“No, you guys are no use to him like this. You need to stop and rest, you have all used up too much energy.” Ramus narrowed his eyes at Eric who opened his mouth to protest. “You barreling forward now, you’re only asking for more trouble.” He sighed, shaking his head, “Did you not say something about Trust? Well then, trust that he is strong enough to hold on that little bit longer.”

“Of course we trust him.”

“Then put that trust into action.”

**x-x-x**

It was like being in the inside of a storm cloud or more what Zach through it would be like, it wasn’t like he ever been in one before. It was dark and cold, bitter wind crashed into him, tears welling in his eyes at the stinging sensation.

Light periodically flashed around him, illuminating the darkness for a split second before receding back into the darkness. Every time the thunder roared, he flinched, the sound echoing harshly in his head. He almost felt like the clouds were suffocating him, wrapping around his throat as if it was a solid mass of rope and chains.

The storm raged on around him, filling his thoughts with darkness, fueling the dread inside his heart. The storm clouds belonged to the darkness and he belonged to it. As moments slipped by the wind become colder, as minutes clicked over the thunder was louder and louder, and as second ticked on the pain around his neck, around his whole body increased, pulsating and pulling.

Lighting crashed, and thunder roared around him – and all through the noise, the words, the whispered sound of his name was nothing. Drowned out by the wind he didn’t’ hear them, drowned out by the thunder he could nor here their pleas. They just added to the noise in his head, the storm raging in his heart.

_“Zach! Zach please, please can you hear me – Zach hold on, you’re strong enough – you can fight.”_

His eyes closed as he let the storm whisk him away. He was done fighting – it was just too hard.


	7. Elemental Surge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF it's been way too long. Sorry for the silence friends, I went on holiday and then I started back at study, I have little time to write these days, but I am trying - and WILL finish this, it just might take awhile, haha.
> 
> **Chapter Warning** Implied/Referenced Sexual/Physical Abuse

Tristan found himself pacing back and faith quickly in the small room that they had taken shelter in. He ignored his teams comments that he would create a hole in the floor and had even shrugged off the hand that a member of fanatic had placed on his shoulder to clam him down. His lane partner, his friend was in trouble, he wasn’t going to calm down, he wasn’t about to stop thinking about ways to get to him.

“Tristan you really need to start calming down man.”

“No, I will not, we need to…”

“There are literal sparks coming from your feet.”

Tristan stopped at this, blinking and looking down – small bolts of lightning crackled around his feet, searing the carpet as he walked. “Ah…”

“You are pacing up a storm – literally.”

“I am just worried and, and angry.”

“Angry?”

“At this darkness, for thinking she owns Zach, at us, for not prote4cting him more… at Zach, for thinking he couldn’t trust us with everything.” He sighed, breathing deeply – a mumbled of agreement echoed around the room, and as Tristan exhaled the ceiling was suddenly covered in dark storm clouds. “And I am angry at you, for getting yourselves into this instead of minding your own business!”

A crack of lighting burst through the clouds, striking the ground – everyone flinched as Tristan closed his eyes, trying his best to calm the anger that was raging through his heart. He had a feeling if he let it consume him anymore, Zach would not be the only one trapped in his own darkness.

“A dark and stormy night.”

“Pardon?”

“Zach, he knew us all so well – he got this right, predicted our very beings, our inner elements so to speak. If only we had taken the time out to know him just as well.” He breathed out, closing his eyes and pressing the thought out as far as he could.

_Zach… Zach if you can hear me, you can hang on – I believe in you… and I’m sorry, I am so sorry. But you can hang on for us – you have to…._

The anger slowly retreated from his thoughts and he turned back to the two teams gathered, “Sorry, I got a little bit carried away there. We… we need a plan, we need to find Zach now – what are we going to do?”

“I don’t think we should do anything until this one wakes up again,” It was the Fanatic top-laner that answered, jabbing his thumb towards the still resting Robert. “Or until you are feeling better.”

Eric pouted at this, but didn’t argue – he had tried, numerous times, to heal himself, but to no avail. His chest still hurt from where the energy blast had hit him. And his heart hurt at the thought of Zach knowing he had attacked him. “We can still come up with a plan, so we are not just sitting here twiddling our thumbs.”

“Is she, or Zach…. Or whatever, ugh – are they even still here – at the arena?”

“Yes,” Dennis answered immediately, “The light – can feel her, the link to her sister. She is still here, hiding – in darkness and shadows. Waiting for something…”

“Waiting here? Why isn’t she off conquering the world or something stupid like that?”

“Maybe she can’t, maybe something – or someone is stopping her…”

“You think Zach is stopping her?”

“I think, no matter what she wants to believe – she doesn’t have full control. Zach is strong, no matter what is happening, he is still fighting back – he decides what they do as much as she does.”

“Look at us all.” This sleepy comment came from Robert, lifting himself into a sitting position as he rolled his shoulders, his eyes barley open. “Talking and discussing this whole weird thing as if it is the most normal thing. Anyone else must think we are crazy.”

“I still think you’re crazy,” Martin commented, folding his arms across his chest, “Welcome back to the land of the conscious.” He reached out and tried to grip the young jungler on the shoulder, drawing back immediately. “Nope, still hot too touch.”

“Oh, sorry – let me try to…” Robert scrunched up his nose and pulled a face. Flames danced across his body for a moment before smoke billowed out from him. “Right – that should have down it.”

He was no longer hot to the touch, Martin blinked. “What did you do?”

The jungler shrugged, “Hey I don’t know – I just… asked the flames to stop being so hurtful, I guess they listened.”

“Flames – that talk?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Sure, whatever – it can go in the crazy category along with everything else.”

There was a chorus of laughter at this, which was only broken by a sudden cry of pain from Eric, catching his side where his injury was and falling down to his knees.

“Eric!” Jensen rushed over to him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “What is wrong? How can we help?”

“It’s burning, no, no not burning, like – like a pulling. A push, like a force is pressing on it. I think she is coming, I think she wants something, something from us…”

“How very clever of you to realize that, now – what I want, is very, very simple.” Darkness was suddenly standing in the middle of the room, there was hardly anything of Zach remaining in the way she looked, the way she held herself. The eyes were the only thing that gave it away – bright and glittered with something that was undeniably Zach. “I want, whatever it is that is holding me back dead. And I will tear this entire place to the ground and kill all of you where you stand, if that is what it takes.”

“That is not going to happen – we won’t let you, and more than that – Zach won’t let you.”

“Oh, how precious, you still believe in him – you still think he has some control. You are so delusional, I hurt you, surely that’s enough evidence for you to see that dearest Zachary is no longer here.”

“You could have killed me, but you didn’t… you held back – Zach held you back. You are not as all powerful as you seem.”

“Eric’s right.” Jensen continued to stand beside Eric, keeping a steady hand on his back, keeping the still shaking Eric on his feet. “Plus, Zach shared his pain, he trusted us all… and it wasn’t a dark past, it was hurtful, it was painful – it was full of raw emotion. And we stand by him, we won’t run – and that gives him all the strength he needs. He is fighting, even now, and I know he can hear me.”

“Oh my gosh, what is it with you humans and your speeches of hope and trust, ugh it’s never ending. Do you really think he told you the truth? My dear Nicolaj, such delusions of friendship. How long has he kept you in the dark, how long has he told you it was an accident?”

“Zach is no killer, not like you – he is not cold blooded.”

“Oh no, but we can all stop, can’t we?” As she talked she moved towards them slowly, the layer of dark purple fabric trailing on the ground behind her. “If we see the same thing over and over again and are powerless to stop it. If we are powerless to stop people taking… advantage, then really – can’t we snap?”

“What the fuck are you on about – stop talking in riddles!”

She turned to Eric who had yelled at her, words dripping in anger and she smirked, tilting her head. “You. you should know more than anyone, love – why do you think he flinches, every time you touch him?”

Eric sucked in a deep breath at this, steeping back. Her words were like whiplash, like a shock-wave through his soul. Zach had always been shy when it came to the physical side of their relationship, he had never let him touch him skin to skin, he had never been able to stand being kissed anywhere but the lips. Eric had never thought about it too much, he had never pushed it, always thinking it was just Zach’s way of taking it slow.

But her words, full of hate and darkness, brought new thoughts to his mind, thoughts that caused his heart to crack, thoughts that he did not want to be true. “What – what are you implying?”

“I think you know exactly what I am implying – but why don’t you come a little closer, and I can tell you…” She beckoned with a finger, long, dark, nails cutting through the air. “Don’t you want to make sure I am okay – love?”

Everything else seemed to have disappeared from Eric as he walked forward, ignoring the warnings from his friends, the shouts of his name. His eyes were fully focused on Darkness and the flecks, the glimmer off Zach that he could see in her.

“Zach… I know you are in there. I know that you can hear me, whatever darkness you are carrying. Whatever you’re hiding, for whatever reason – I am here. I can…. Let me hold you, let me protect you.” He breathed out deeply, realizing that tears were streaming down his face, “Zach I love you, nothing can ever change that.”

“He is not here, pretty words. But they are wasted – you can’t… Eric? Eric is that you?”

“I’m here – follow my voice, follow me back, you can do it…”

“No, no this can’t be happening…. Eric I’m scared.”

“I know, I know – I am scared too, but I am right here.”

“Scared that you won’t want to be with me anymore, scared that you will think I am damaged… broken.”

“Zach,” At this point Eric had made his way fully over to him, a surge of power was raiding from Zach, the purple and black fabric sweeping around as if there was a gale in the room. “I will never, ever, think those things of you and nothing, no darkness, no storms, nothing will make me stop loving you.”  
“I don’t deserve it.”

Eric placed a hand on Zach’s shoulder, his glass wings exploding out from his back. “Yes you do – now come here.” He pulled him into him, pulling Zach out of the dark energy, pulling him out and away from the fabric and power – into his arms and into a fierce kiss.

Purple and pink light wrapped around them, shielding them from the force of dark wind that suddenly crashed around them, as if trying to pull Zach back in. As they kissed, the fabric, the darkness of Zach melted away – falling as if dust – revealing his true self, his clothes and hair back to normal. His skin no longer black and brushed from the hold. The bright light engulfed them both and Eric’s glass wings cocooned them for what seemed like an age, before exploding, showering the room in the multicoloured dust.

Zach’s whole body shook, tears streaming down his face as he clung into the hug of Eric, pressing himself as close as possible. “I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry.”

“Shh, there is nothing to apologize for, you’re safe, this is your home.” Eric tightened the grip, engulfing Zach as much as possible, slowly moving – leading him back to group, who were all staring – shocked, stunned, speechless. Seeing their questioning eyes he shook his head, “A story for another time.”

The implication was clear, yes that had hidden this, yes it was probably a large shock to everyone, but they had more pressing matters to attend to – now was not the time. It was Tristan that broke the silence that had engulfed them, itching for the answer that would let him know his friend was finally safe.

“Is she gone? For good, this time?”

“I… I don’t…” Zach’s voice shock and was muffled as he stayed pressed into Eric, “I cannot… feel it anymore.”

“That is a good thing – right?”

“Oh that would depend on your perspective.” The spot where Eric had pulled Zach from was moving, shifting – it seemed to be taking shape, an image coming from the darkness itself, fabric wrapping and feathers appearing. She was standing in front of them, as real and as solid as any of them.

“Hello boys – this, this is where it gets exciting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	8. Days of Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you that are still reading this! :D Sorry this took so long....  
> I really like the last part of the chapter, I actually had an idea of a new story around it, but I decided to add it into this instead of starting yet another new project haha. :)

In his arms Eric could feel Zach shaking, trembling as they stared at the darkness before them. “Is that, that what I’ve looked like?”

“No, she… she is much more… intimidating.”

“Oh how I have missed this, being in my own form, being free from our mortal constraints.”

“When I think of pure darkness, this is not what I thought it would look like.”

“Oh no dears, this is just an image, to talk to you – I could change if you like, something like this?” Before their very eyes she shifted and moved, the fabric of her dress becoming scales, a towering snake over them – cold eyes looking down on them. “Darkness can take any form it wants, depending on it’s needs…. even.” With a burst of energy, she changed again, becoming a small boy – torn and grubby closes, bruised face. The only thing that stayed the same was the eyes – cold and dark.

“I can be anything you want, anything your heart desires – look what you have thrown away.” She shifted back to normal, one long nail pointed at the trembling Zach. “This could have been all yours. You could have enjoyed the ride with me, but look at you… you choose the weakness of light, of them.”

“That is enough!” Too focused on Darkness in front of them, they had not realized Dennis had transformed behind them, the blinding white, shifting, fabric told them that Light had taken over. “Enough Sister, you have won, you have achieved freedom – go, you do not need to torment these souls any longer.”

“Go? Sister, it is almost like you want me to go out and destroy the world – not much of a protector of light if you are asking me to leave.”

“I will follow you wherever you go, make no mistake about it – but leave these mortals, they do not deserve to play you twisted game anymore. “

“I am not finished with these mortals yet, no stand aside, Sister.”

“No,” She raised a shield, the blinking colours engulfing the room, “I will protect them like I have protected many before them and like I will continue to protect al through time, all through history.”

“Are you not tired, Sister? Are you not tired of protecting ungrateful mortals that are your power with no thanks – these mortals that do not do anything in return?”

“That is not true, we are grateful – eternally so.”

“Prove it.”

“Certainly – what would that entail?”

“Don’t listen to her Nicolaj, you do not need to prove anything.” Light held out her arm, stopping him from moving forward. We have fought beside each other and helped each other already, you do not need to prove it anymore than you already have.”

“Yes we do, you stand here ready to save us, and what kind of recognition do you get from it? We never knew you existed till now… and you have done it so many other times, for so many other people – it is not fair.” It was not Nicolaj that said this, but Ramus, the midlaner moving forward. “Light should be thanked.”

“You don’t think that about yourself though, do you?” Light smiled and she shifted to look at him, “You have a strong sense of what is right, there is a light in you -do not let it go out.”

“Ah, that was a change of topic.”

“No it wasn’t, you said light needed recognition, so I was recognizing it.” There was a burst at this, a pulse crashing through the shield, purple and dark supplies bouncing off the silver colours.

“Excuse me – how dare you ignore me…. We are not here to talk pleasantries.” The shield was washed in purple and black as she threw out her hands sending a wave of power towards the shield – cracking it in the middle. “We are here to fight, we are here to destroy…. And to break bonds.”

“No one is destroying anything.”

“Really, he looks pretty destroyed.” Zach flinched in Eric’s arms as she turned her full attention over to him. Cold eyes glaring down, her nails glowing at the end pointed directly at him. “Did I really affect you that much dear Zachary, is your mind still filled with the dark. With all those moments, that made you just want to… run, to end…. Everything.”

Zach shivered again, pressing himself as close to Eric as possible as the toplaner gripped him tightly. “Am I still apart of you Zach?” Zach breathed out deeply as his hair flickered in and out of colour, washed purple appearing and disappearing. The purple matter shadowed over his hands, he couldn’t help but whimper at the sight.

“No, no you can’t… you are not part of me anymore.”

“She never was Zach, you are strong and if you can’t believe that – believe in me.”

“Such trust, don’t you think it’s…”

“Enough Sister.” Light stepped forward, through the large barrier that she had created, bringing a small amount with her, it swirled around her as a circular shield as she stood face to face with darkness. “Enough, this fight is over, this place…. Can no longer deal with your darkness – you have won.”

“Won? I will not have won until those that have dared to defy me are no longer part of this world.”

Light shifted at this, and her staff appeared, the crystal at the top of the golden pole glowing. “I will not let that happen and to do so….” She breathed out deeply, “Dennis, thank you, and I am sorry.” With a burst of bright light she struck her rod to the ground and her image shifted, shock and burst forward.

As light stood her ground, Dennis flew backward, falling through the barrier. Much like when Zach had been pulled away from Darkness, Light had pulled herself out of Dennis, now standing in front of them, brighter than she had been before, so much that it was hard to look at her. 

His team surrounded Dennis immediately, helping him back to his feet as he shivered and swayed slightly. “Dennis, are you – are you feeling okay?”

“Everything… everything is all fuzzy, I feel so…. Tired.”

“I am sorry Dennis…” Light’s voice echoed around the room, as if it was coming from all places at once. “I didn’t want to put you right in the line of fire. Thank you for trusting me, for giving me strength, but now, this is my fight – I will not use up anymore of your energy.” She turned and smiled, “I am sorry that it is initially painful, you will need a lot of rest after this.”

“Ah yeah, yeah there’s no need to apologize.” Dennis frowned, letting his team pull him further back where he could lean against a wall, something solid he could lean on to keep him steady. “What… what are you going to do?”

“What light always does – break through darkness.”

“You don’t have what it takes Sister, you never could and never will be as strong enough to go head to head with me.” Darkness smirked at this, turning her back on her sister to prove this point. “And even more so now. I am not the only one you have to worry about. You still have a little darkness, right there – at your side.”

At this everyone turned to the sight of Zach, pushing Eric away from him as shadows began to move around him again.

“Zach…”

“No, no you can’t help me with this.” Zach moved away from everyone. The shifting fabric slowing moving into the purple and black dress and perfect lines. “I have…. I have to do this alone, I have to prove…” He breathed out deeply, “I have to prove – that this is my own darkness, and I own it no one else does.”

“I own all darkness my dear,” Darkness turned back around, smirking at Zach, “See, look how much we match.”

“No, we don’t…” With a burst of light Zach’s outfit returned, a softer, lighter version of what she was wearing. In his hands a silver staff with a deep purple crystal on the top, in the shape of a rose losing it’s petals. “My darkness, it helps me – it improves what I am, who I am… It’s my balance. I was scared of it, shamed but after seeing you…”

Zach shook his head, “I do not want to become like you, so cruel and cold… I will not use this darkness to hide, to destroy or manipulate – I will not let it define who I am. I am not too sure yet what I will do with it, but I know, that it will not be a part of you.”

“You ungrateful little… I gave you this power!”

“No, they did.”

She threw out her arms at this, sending a shockwave of power at Zach. He flinched slightly, his mind immediately panicking at the images of all other times, of this power taking of him – of using it to hurt his friends. It was all his mind could think of until he felt how solid the staff was in his hands, until he remembers the feeling and the light of pink and purple glass.

Breathing out deeply, Zach stepped forward and held out the staff in front of him – the whole blast was absorbed into the crystal, glinting in colour as it reflected around the room. “You… you are done here, whatever you had planned, is done, because you have no power here anymore.”

“Oh you are so naïve, you are not the only one here that I can hurt. In fact, maybe hurting someone else, someone you care about – might be a better plan for me.” She moved quickly, running across the room leaving nothing but a trail of purple smoke in her wake. She even moved through the shield, leaving a black ripple. Right past Light, right past Zach – as if she had moved in a split blink, right towards the two teams.

“You want cold, I will show you cold!”

The temperature in the room dropped, a chill wind crashing through the room. Something in Zach’s heart dropped when he realized his best friend was in trouble.

“Nico!”

**x-x-x**

Nicolaj felt the chill enter him immediately, and the ice armour appeared on him both as a protection from the cold but also to become part of it. This time it felt different, it stuck to his skin as if the dark ice was a part of it, shifting it to something that hurt rather than protected.

The chill entered his veins, his whole body seemed to freeze as her voice echoed around his head.

“My dear boy, you can feel it can’t you? What real coldness is, it you had just turned with me, this could have all been yours, but not now – never.” As her words echoed around him Nicolaj realized it was a different cold than last time. It hurt, it pressed on him and the cold wind entered his lungs and caused everything to just stop. “And now, now all you are is part of the scenery.”

Nicolaj looked up to see her standing in front of him, which made him realized he had fallen to his knees. When he held out his hand in an attempt to call upon the staff that had helped him before, nothing happened. His arms wouldn’t move, in fact it hurt to even twitch them. When he looked down Nicolaj started shaking, ice covering his arms, locking them into place – they cracked when he tried to move them.

“Any last words?”

This was said out loud, not in his head, as she glared down at him. “I…” At this point he turned, seeing people making their way over to him, “No… no stay back – it’s not safe.”

Concentrating, he pushed the cold backwards, almost causing a blizzard inside the room. He breathed out in relief as it caused them to fall back. “You… you are not getting anyone else… I won’t be bait, no, not so you can hurt them.”

Snarling she reached forward, gripping his wrist tightly, the ice along his arm quickened its pace, moving over to his whole body. As he cried out in pain, he heard his name yelled in fear, closer to him that he thought. It took a few moments for him to realized that there was one person that could make their way through the cold unfazed. Too late did he realize this, too late did he turn to warn him – all that greeted him was blistering cold and a cold, light.

Blue light exploded out from the spot they were and the air stilled, the coldness continued to stay however, causing them to shiver. Darkness stepped back with a smirk, tilting her head as if admiring her work.

“No… no how could you… what have you done?”

“Do you not like it – a souvenir, a gift to look at to remember our time together.” She stepped forward and pressed one finger hard onto the ice, causing it to crack slightly. “Even if it is a little broken… and oh look, two for one.”

She moved over to the side where the second frozen statue was, reaching out to the first, although this one she didn’t touch, instead she laughed, stepping backwards. “How sweet, that he thought he could help. But when you add coldness to what is already frozen, it doesn’t really do anything.”

“Shut up! He is not cold, neither of them are – change them back, change them back now!” Mads ran forward, anger glinting in his eyes, fists shaking at his side. “They do not deserve this, change them back!”

“Back… honey, my dear – I can’t do this, maybe you can, if you can figure it out without causing them harm.” To prove her point, she snapped her fingers and the small crack, which she had caused on Nicolaj, extended, the ice breaking off, reveling the inner colour of a rustic red – blood.

“I will leave this, uh recovery in your capable hands.” She turned back to her sister, ignoring everyone else. “Light, my sister – shall we go?”

“You expect me to leave these mortals in the state they are in – Sister, I am not cruel – I am not like you.”

“No, but you are bound by your oath, your duty to follow me through every battle. So, sister, come and chase me.” With every word she said, Darkness began to disappear, until at her last word, she was nothing but black and purple smoke, it too then disappeared slowly in the air. 

“You can’t… you can’t even… you can’t leave us, not like this!”

Her eyes held a sadness that none of them could really comprehend. “I am sorry, I wish it had never come to this…” She disappeared as well, leaving a shimmer of silver in the air.

And they were alone, completely alone – not knowing what to do or how to fix anything. The terrifying sound of ice cracking was their only companion.


	9. Shattering of the Cold

Terrified they all moved forward as one.

“I…no, this can’t be.” Zach flinched at the crackling sound of ice breaking, the spider-web like crack moving further down Nicolaj’s out stretched arm. “He’s frozen solid… like, I don’t even want to think what will happen if…”

“Don’t even think about that Zach, we will fix this – somehow.”

“She just left, leaving them both like this…” Mads cleared his throat, finding it hard to speak, hand held out to touch Martin but stopping inches from the AD. Terrified of breaking the ice around him, “Why would she do that?”

“She must have faith in us, that we can do this.” Dennis closed his eyes as if trying to search for lights presence. He sighed, knowing she was gone, “She believes in us.”

“Well, whatever we decide to do, we have to do it quickly.” Tristan pointed towards the frozen statue of Nicolaj, the cracks continuing to move along the ice. “What about the remaining powers we have, can we not use them?”

“I don’t know if melting him is the answer.” Robert wrinkled his nose, flashes of doing even more damage coming to his mind. “What if… what if I…” He breathed out deeply, the beginning of the panic attack creeping through his mind.

“You can try it on Martin.”

“Ramus!”

“No, look, look at the difference.” Ramus shock his indicating towards the two frozen statues. “Nicolaj is solid, almost like stone, but Martin is more… frosted. Like it’s only a covering on him.” The ice covering the fanatic AD seemed to shimmer under the light, looking more like a layer of glitter on his out stretched hand and worried face. “Maybe if you concentrate you could slowly melt that.”

“I could try to heal him, or them, or both as needed… maybe.” Eric added with a frown, not sure what there was to heal and even if it would work.

“You should try that more on him.” The fanatic support spoke for the first time, his quiet thoughtful eyes turning to Nicolaj. They held a glint of fear to them. “I do not like that colour – the red, it’s too much like…. Like blood.” He cleared his throat, his words trailing off into a matter before he fell silent again, thoughts and concern running through his head. 

“I guess there is nothing much else to do, what do you think Zach?”

Zach breathed out deeply, looking over at Nicolaj, then down at the gloves covering his arms. The purple, fabric now calmed him instead at panicking him. “We have no choice – do it and I’ll protect you from anything that dares arrive our way.”

“And I will stand by your side Zach,” Tristan offered him a small smile as the AD blushed at him. “A dark and stormy night, I’ll support you in this as well.”

“Thank you.” He breathed out deeply and twirled the staff around in his arms. “Alright, let’s do this – together.”

****

x-x-x

Robert’s hand’s glowed slightly, giving off heat, he tried his best to keep the temperature under control, not wanting for flames to rise up and crash through the cold statues of Nicolaj and Martin.

“It’s working, you’re doing great!” Mads placed a hand on his shoulder, the presence at the other jungler with a help to him. He could feel the pull of him taking up any extra heat; keeping it deep within his soul for when he needed it again. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we still have to… oh.”

The statue of the fanatic AD glowed a brilliant orange and the ice slowly melting, pooling down onto the ground. They watched as Martin twitched slightly, moving his muscles slowly. There was a crack as he tried to move and a push of coldness washed over them. Martin pitched forward, his motion of what he had been doing before being frozen continued.

Mad quickly surged forward, grabbing his team mate and pulling him back slightly, stopping him, merely inches away, from the frozen Nicolaj.

“Ah…”

“Easy there, good to have you back but please don’t shatter my team-mate.” To prove Robert’s point there was a sickening crack and the spider-web of broken ice over Nicolaj increased.

“What… no, what in the world…” Martin seemed to be lost for words as he slowly backed away from the statue, his hand had been just grazing the ice. He couldn’t help but shiver, weather it be due to the coldness of what he now felt or what he was looking at. “Was, was I like that?”

“Not really, you were still trapped, but you were more like a think layer of ice – rather than be solid… it’s not really something he want to try to understand.” As Rasmus spoke, he wrapped an arm around his team mate, shaking slightly – obviously greatly relived at seeing him okay. “The sound… the sound is just a little unnerving.”

“You wan unnerving dear, let me give it to you.” The sultry voice echoed around the room once again, carried by a wind that crashed through them. This wind however, was hot, it was burning – it held a blister to it as if it was made of fire. 

“No!” Zach jumped into action, putting himself between his friends and the dark powers, the wind began to take shape, creatures, claws and spikes, armour and sharp teeth. “You all need to get out of here!”

“Zach we are not leaving you, or Jensen!”

“You must, those of you that can leave should…” He looked back, sighing deeply – his eyes deep with regret as they feel on the huddled fanatic. “This was never your fight… I am so sorry.”

Thinking that he was distracted for long enough, one of the creatures leaped forward, only to be struck – instantly by a bolt of lightning, dissolving into ash. “Tristan…”

The support walked forward, standing side by side with Zach. “You’re not doing this alone, not if I have anything to say about it.”

Behind them, they were still arguing, as they were urging for those that could – to leave. 

“You should go with them Dennis, you are still unstable from lights removal – you can’t stay if it gets bad.”

“Oh, hell no, I am not leaving, if I have to throw my damn body in front of that darkness I will. You’re my team, more over – my friends, I’m staying.”

“But Dennis, you could get hurt.”

“So, could you, don’t think I didn’t see the way you went all dizzy after using the fire back there Robert. It took too much out of you…”

“I have to stay and help Nicolaj.”

“So do we.”

“We don’t even know if I can help, what makes you think you can?”

“I…”

“Stop!” The yell came from Eric, who had changed in the chaos, the large glass wings shadowed over all of them as he pushed past. “You are making it worse, just stop!” Eric completely ignored his bickering team-mates and instead made a beeline for the ice statue. 

He cracking ice was now making its way across his chest, across his back and most worryingly, up across his neck. Instead of the rust coloured ice showing through, now deep red blood seeped from the cracks, staining the blue ice. Everyone fell into a dead silence as Eric, shaking, moved forward.

“You’re arguing… creating negativity… darkness. It’s making it worse.” He fell to his knees next to Nicolaj and moved a shaking hand towards him. “Please, we need, we need hope – we need some kind of miracle.”

The arm that had the most cracks on it shattered at this point and Eric, on instinct moved out and held it. Holding the broken ice in place, willing it, with all his might – to somehow mend. “Please, please just give us this – please don’t let this happen – not after everything we’ve already been through.”

His wing glowed and beat up and down, the glass shifting the light in the air. Beside Eric, the others knelt down, either placing hands on him or the shattered ice that was melting, cracking – wanting to crumble.

“Please, please, I don’t… I don’t care about me, I don’t care about this power. Just take it, take it all so I can save him…” The glass wings glowed brightly, as did the ice in front of them, the cracks glowed brightly with pink and purple light – as if coming from the very inside itself.

Eric felt the pulling, the rushing of power from him, sucking the life, the healing, the hope from him. The wings shattered, the glass crashing into him, this time he felt it – like a million of little pieces cutting into him. He couldn’t help but cry out in pain and fear as he was pushed backwards – letting go of the ice statue. His hands were now slick with cold water and blood as he fell backwards, crashing into everyone around him, holding him up.

“Eric…”

“I couldn’t hold it, I couldn’t do anything… I…”

“Eric it’s okay, you tried and look – it’s stopped.” The ice statue stood strong, the cracks still glowing, but not increasing. The broken pieces seeming to hold together by the pink and purple light.

Eric hoped beyond hope that Nicolaj couldn’t feel anything that was happening, he could barley comprehend how painful it would be. “What, what else do we do? What else can we do?”

There was a deep silence at this, as they all looked from the statue, to the state of themselves, to Zach and Tristan, who were still holding back the creatures of darkness. It was Dennis, that in putting it all together, clicked and suddenly gaped.

“Zach! It has to be you!”

“What?”

“Darkness created it, the wrong kind, maybe only darkness can fix it… but the right kind?”

Zach frowned, glancing at the state of his friend, still glowing with the pink or purple light. “I…” He breathed out deeply, something snapping in him as a surge of confidence filled him. “I can do that but…”

“Go Zach, I can hold them back,” Tristan stepped forward, storm clouds forming above them, cold hard rain drenching the creatures, lightning striking them at periodic intervals. “Believe in yourself, Robert’s powers are in there, Eric’s as well, but you… we get it all from you.” He nodded, “You own that power – you control it and you can use it to save him.”

****

x-x-x

He couldn’t describe it, there were no words, no scenario to compare it to. It was pain, it was agony, it was cold, dark… it was like being in limbo. It reminded him of the time he had broken his arm – the crack of pain – the fire of it moving through all his whole body.

It was like all his bones breaking at once, like a knife, or a burn, moving through his skin, pulling, pushing, destroying. He wanted to scream – but his throat wouldn’t work, it burned, it closed up and he felt like he was drowning. He wanted to cry. But the tears seemed to freeze in his eyes – stinging, cutting, painful in a way that he never wanted to open them either again. 

It was terror, it was horror, it was an agonizing, unknown and he wanted it to end, no matter the outcome, he wanted it to end. He couldn’t take it anymore, he was at the end of his rope and then, it stopped. Then the dark was replaced with light and he could breath, he could cry and he could scream.

He pitched forward, letting out a painful, shaking gasp, tears streaming down his face, comfort, warmth, wrapped around him and finally he felt safe. Zach’s held Nicolaj shaking body, hating the sound of the whimpered pains from his friend, the breaths were sounded broken and wracked.

Nicolaj was soaking wet, cold to the touch, the melted water mixing with the deep crimson blood. The cracks in the ice had turned to cuts in his skin, all up his arms, across his shoulders and one, nasty looking scar up his neck. That cut wasn’t bleeding but was bruised all the way around the mark.

“Nico, hey Nicolaj look at me please?” Zach smiled as the midlaner looked up at him. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Your… going to be okay, we’ve got you. I’m so sorry.”

“It… turned painful, dark… the nice, the strong coldness, it’s gone.” Nicolaj chocked on his words, flinching as he felt someone’s hands on his arm. He relaxed slightly as he looked over seeing Martin and Ramus wrapping cloths around the bleeding wounds on his arms. Nicolaj looked back up at Zach, “I can’t help you anymore?”

“It’s okay, I think I figured it out. You all… all the people that mattered to me, got these powers to help me, to put me on the right path. Now, I know who I am, now, I am the one that needs to protect, those powers, they are from the dark and it’s taking it back… but I will take it back before she can.”

Nicolaj hummed at this but hissed immediately after in pain. Every small moment grating at the injuries. “You, you got this Zach – I believe in you.”

Tears welled in his eyes as Zach gripped his best friend in a tight hug, feeling that faith and belief surge through him. “I’ve got you, all of you – I promise.”


	10. Master of Elements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for the wait on this chapter - this was originally going to be the final chapter, but there is so much going on I thought I would break it all up, plus this really moved in a different direction that intend, it stills work however, and hey we get more story from it - haha XD

“You are all kinds of amazing – you know, that right?”

Eric just chuckled at this, keeping his grip on the injured midlaner, even though the power he had to heal had disappeared after his effort to keep the midlaner from not exploding into ice, there was still a calmness to him. Even though it didn’t heal him physically, it healed his spirit in away he felt like everything would be okay.

Nicolaj snuggled into Eric and the grip he had become more of a warm hug. “Pretty sure you saved my life, so thanks for that.”

Eric just smiled, “It was a team effort and besides you’re the one that saved us from blizzard.”

Nicolaj just hummed at this sinking into the hug, his eyes focusing on the far side of the room where Zach stood side by side with Tristan. The staff shone brightly engulfing them all in a royal purple light. “All, all this time and he has been fighting with something… that none of us could barely imagine.”

His voice trailed off and he shivered, “Still, it doesn’t change who he is, or how we treat him, right?”

“Of course not, you don’t turn your back on those you love over… over something like that.”

“Good, you pass.”

Eric laughed, “Was that part of the best friend test?”

“Believe me, I’m going to grill you once we get out of this whole mess.”

Eric’s response to this was drowned out by a sharp yell from the back of the room. They turned to see Tristan on the floor, Zach looking shocked as he apologized and went to help him up.

“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry – I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, no I’m good – it was a shock more than anything… I’m not hurt.” The support gratefully took Zach’s hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. “Did it work, do you think?”

“Hmm,” Zach shifted on his feet and closed his eyes, electricity crackled around him. Zach opened his eyes and clicked his fingers, a branch of lightning shot out and crashed into the wall, creating a scorch mark.

“Alright – it worked!” At Zach’s words the gloves on his hand changed, switching to a beautiful yellow and black colour, yellow ribbon spiralling up his arm in an almost forked lightning pattern.

“Okay so, you’re taking up all the elements, and then what do you do?” Martin narrowed his eyes slightly; the AD was still shivering a small amount from of time he had spent encased in ice. “We’re literally trapped here… the door back into the hallway wont open and to be honest, at this point it wouldn’t surprise me if the hallway wasn’t even there.”

“An excellent question, one I’m not to sure about myself… all I know, I feel, is that somehow… if I do this, things will become clear. It’s like all the things you did, it was to help me – it was to give me strength – and only when I take that strength back, will I be able to move on.”

At Zach’s words there was a great rumble and the roof near the door collapsed, beams and concrete falling down, trapping them in the small room. 

“I think whatever you intend to do, you should do it, quickly.”

“A master of elements…”

“Huh?”

Dennis just shook his head, “It’s just – something that light kept thinking about something that seemed to drive her. That’s what you’re going to have to do, to be…”

“So, what, do we just stare you down and suddenly you have the elements or something?”

“I already have some of the others I think – hang on…” Zach closed his eyes and concentrated, trying his best to bring up images that reminded him of his friends. With a flicker of magenta light, Zach sprouted wings.

They were more imitating than Eric’s were, less glass, colder hard metal. While the toplaner wings could have been described as angelic, Zach’s were dragon-like. Hard with sharp edges, darker colours of all the elements mixing together.

“Typical,” Eric muttered, “You’re at least look practical as if they would actually work.”

Zach sighed, reaching out to touch the wings, “Let’s hope we don’t find ourselves in a situation when I need to use them.” As if hearing his words, the room shook, the ground gave a sudden lurch and the sound of cracking and splintering wood echoed ominously.  
“Alright, let’s get this over and done with Zach, get over here – I think if I tried to walk to you I would collapse.”

“Alright, I’m coming…”

“Not so fast, my dear Zachary – did you not think… I wouldn’t know, what you were planning.” The voice whispered through the air, as if the very wind. “Only the strongest are allowed to be masters of elements… and if not me, then no one and I mean no one, deserves that power.”

The ground began to split, right down the middle, separating Zach and Tristan from everyone else, then splitting even more, separating everyone into smaller groups.

“No! Don’t you dare hurt them!”

The laugh echoed harshly in their hearts and the room began to split and shatter, as if made of glass it broke, as if made of paper it crumbled in an itself. The last thing Zach heard before everything when dark were the cries of his friends, their yells of shock and asks for help.

There was nothing he could do, as shadows and darkness descended on him.

**x-x-x**

“Wake up, come on – wake up… you’re scaring us!” He couldn’t help but let out a small groan of annoyance, but he complied with the request and found himself staring face to face with Nicolaj and Eric, obvious worry etched on their faces. “Thank God, don’t do that ever again – geez!”

Eric rolled his eyes at his team-mate, “Really – you’re one to talk – you? The almost dead, cut to shreds, almost shattered ice – human statue – thing.”

“Hey, we are well past that – now in this moment… this idiot decided to take a nap.”

“I resent that comment,” Martin cut in the argument, not that it didn’t bring him a warm feeling hearing that he was being worried about, now certainly wasn’t the time. “Come on, stop arguing we need to figure out while we are and how to get back to the others.” A sharp pang of panic crashed through him at the thought of his team. They needed him and he needed them, more than he would ever admit. “Let’s stop sitting around here and oh…”

“Yeah, there is that.”

A large wooden plank crossed Martin’s leg, pinning him down and now that he was looking at it, the feeling of stinging pain crashed into him. It was not only across him, but the wood had splintered, a large sheath had cut through his skin – deep blood staining the wood around it. “Oh…”

“Yeah moving is going to be difficult,” Eric waved his hands in the direction of the injury, the sight of blood making him slightly uneasy. “We didn’t want to make it… worse.”

Martin shifted slightly, trying to test the weight of moving it, at even the slightest of movement pain burned through his leg and he hissed, gritting his teeth to stop from crying out. Nope, moving was not an option.

“Well, well this is just perfect….”

**x-x-x**

There was an odd look on Robert’s face as he tried to concentrate, as if forcing something out that wasn’t there. “Nope, sorry – I think my powers are all gone – looks like we are continuing in the dark.”

There was a chorus of groans at this, as the group continued to slowly feel there was around in the darkness. “What good is having a fire elemental around if he can’t even light a small fire to help us see.”

“Don’t blame me, I think Zach has my powers, no doubt he needs them more than I do.”

“But,” Even though they could barley see each other, the voice obviously belonged to Ramus, “He didn’t like… do the whole stare at you and take it, right? There didn’t seem to be a transfer.”

“Don’t ask me how it works, I am not an expert on magical elemental powers.” Robert chuckled and added, “I’m just making it up as I go along.”

“Ha – sounds like your game play.”

“Oi! Rude.”

The group laughed at this and continued to walk down the dark tunnel they had found themselves in. Dennis lead up the front and Mads drew up the rear – determined to keeping their friends safe in anything was to pop out unexpectant in the darkness. They moved through the dark in silence, keeping a tight grip on each other as they did so, not wanting to get separated in the darkness.

After what seemed like hours, light was seen ahead and they all, in unison, quickened their pace towards the light. They moved out into a wide-open area, an assortment of rainbow light sparking all around – all coming from the same central point.

A glinting globe of colour spun in the middle of the room, and inside the sphere, was a person.

“Zach!” 

Robert’s and Dennis’s cries were echoed by others on the side of the sphere. When they ran into the middle of the room they were joined by Tristan and the remainder of Fanatic, excluding their ADC. There were small nods of acknowledgements, grips on shoulders and relieved hugs at seeing each other safe before their focused turned to the sphere.

Zach floated in the middle of the sphere, surrounded by all of the coloured lights, his eyes closed, his body still.

“What, what happened to him? Were you not right next to him when everything collapsed?”

The question was directed to Tristan, who just shook his head in sadness. “I don’t know – we were falling together and then this… bright light kind of attached him, it become solid and wrapped around him. I tried to pull back but… but there was nothing I could do. When I hit the ground, I found himself here, with these guys… and this.”

“What in the world is going on…”

“This is containment, for all of our sakes.” The answer came from light, who suddenly appeared in the room. She looked like she had just gone through a long battle, her clothes were slightly torn, her eyes held no light. No longer did them shimmer and sparkle with hope. “The power running through Zach now is too much for anyone. I have contained that power, for all of your safety – and for his.”

“Then take that power back from him – you’re the one that gave it to him in the first place!”

“I cannot, it was not I that is the source of Zach’s elements, but my Sister. She would like nothing more than these elements to destroy him – that way, she could have her shot at holding them herself.”

“Then what, what do we do -to help?”

“This is beyond help, he must stay here.” There was a crackling silence and lights words echoed around their very souls, piercing their hearts. “He must stay, in the sphere. A master of all elements controls the world on them, and that can only happen – outside of the world, outside of time. Outside of light and darkness…”

“We are not leaving him here – I am not going anywhere without him!”

“You must leave, you have no choice, the elements are already reacting to each other.”

At Light’s words the sphere pulsed, inside it Zach had changed once again. The black and purple feathers around his shoulders and neck were replaced by sizzling fire, the red and orange colours bursting against the dark purple of his hair that floated around him – almost like inside the sphere was water. Across his chest the crystalized armour that Nicolaj wore grew in front of their eyes, solidifying in a harsh, unforgiving shape, that seemed to cut into his very skin.

“The only thing left for Zach to control is light itself and I will not allow it. Even at the cost of his own life he must stay here and you must let him go.”


	11. Infused with Elements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget about this story, I promise! I just had to have a good think about it, in the last few chapters this story has really developed into something a lot bigger with a lot more questions and side-plots. So things are taking a bit longer, and the story itself has gotten longer, so I hope you enjoy :D

“Okay, you’re going to have to break it off.”

“Are you fucking crazy?”

“Look, we need to get going! You’re worried about Zach, right?”

“Well, yes.”

“And you want to find him, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“And you don’t plan on running off without me?”

“What – no, of course not.”

“Then there is one thing left to do. You can’t pull it out, because we all know that could kill me.” He ignored the whimper from the two C9 players staring at him at this. “So, you just need to break it off somehow, and then I can hobble along with you.”

“Carrying.”

“What?”

“In the state you are in, we are carrying you.”

“Fine, what ever way it is, we’re leaving no matter what. So come on, help me break this off… normally I could by myself, but…” His face easily showed why, pale, sweating, the blood seeping out of the room. The injury would weaken anyone, no matter how strong they were.

Nicolaj and Eric showed a worrisome look at this comment. They both knew that they was no arguing with the stubborn Fanatic ADC, Martin was steadfast in his idea; even considering the pain he was about to be in.

“Okay, okay you win, if we do this together then we should be able to do this… just, just prepare yourself, okay?”

Martin breathed out deeply, trying to mentally prepare himself for the pain that he knew was about to happen. He placed both hands on the wooden plank and nodded. “Okay…” The three of them pulled together, twisting the plank in hopes of breaking the wood.

The sound of it cracking mixed with Martin’s cry of pain as the plank split, breaking away from the piece embedded in his leg – causing the piece to sink into his skin further and ripples of pain to course through him. Eric and Nicolaj surged forward.

“Fuck, fuck…ah…” Martin gripped then both tightly, waiting for the initial waves of pain to crash. “Ah… yup, carrying is certainly a thing that needs to happen.”

“Yeah, hang on a moment,” Eric shifted slightly, taking his shirt and ripping it into strips to wrap around the wound. It kept the shard of wood in place all while stopping the bleeding. “It’s a patchy job but it’s the best we can do for now.”

“Thank you,” Martin nodded, his voice somehow holding steady. “You didn’t need to do that, okay... okay I’m good, we should get going.”

“Martin, you really should rest, take some time.”

“No, I’ve already held us up long enough, please, I need… I need to take sure my team is okay.”

It was something they could all relate too and it renewed their urgency to be with their friends again.

**x-x-x**

“I don’t want to forcibly remove you but I will, if you do not see reason soon.”

“See reason?” Dennis’s voice growled slightly, “Reason is not leaving a cared for friend behind and besides, we’re not all here yet.”

“Exactly,” Paul cut in, folding his arms across his chest as his fellow toplaner mirrored the action beside him. “We’re not leaving without Martin, Eric and Nicolaj… they could need be in danger, they could need us… they certainly wont want to leave without seeing Zachary.”

“Eric and Nicolaj would kill us, they need him, magical powers or not.” Robert muttered, eyes flickering from his arguing teammates to the globe holding Zach. The ADC was barley visible anymore, a rainbow of colours bouncing and washing around him. “Eric… Eric especially, they obviously love each other, if we leave him here, Eric would never forgive us and for good reason too.”

“This is bigger than just someone’s love,” Light argued back, “This is the imbalance of light and dark, this is the worlds elements, the balance can not deal with a master of them.”

“Well then this balance is not as high and mighty as you make it out to be, is it?” Ramus scoffed, something felt odd about Light to him, something weird, he was not getting the same calming sense he did when they first met her. “Surely you, the source of all light can do something about it, surely your sister could?”

“She can, yes, but we are not stopping to that level.” She narrowed her eyes, “Unless you want Zach to die? At least this way he stays alive.”

“Trapped, unconscious in a prison of colour is no way to live.”

Light sighed, running her hand through her hair, looking very tired. “I understand, truly I do, I get your frustrations. You are correct, however, you’re friends are missing and we should not leave without them. I will spare you some time to fine them and to say goodbye – but that is all I can afford.”

“They wont accept that, Eric and Nicolaj won’t just leave him.”

“Then I will use force, because I will not lose more lives than necessary.”

“That number should be zero. You are light, you’re good, loss of life should never be necessary.”

“In this fallen world, it is.”

**x-x-x**

He could hear their conversation, all of it, clear as day as if he was standing right beside them. He tried to answer, to call out to them in reply but nothing happened but a burst of colour around him, nothing but a crackle of energy. Apparently, that is how he spoke now, he had no voice, no movement of his body. All what Zach had been the elements, fighting within him, trying to take control, trying to burst out.

He wanted them to leave, if what light has said was true, then he was a danger to them, so they should all just leave, all up and go and leave him to this fate. Yet, yet there was a small part, a very human par of him that wanted them to stay. Zach wanted to hear their voices, to see their faces. He wanted, if it was indeed possible, to be held one final time – to say a proper farewell.

Then again, Zach knew beyond a doubt that if he got one final chance to hold Eric he would never let go of him. Zach was confused, he was scared, his team was in danger, his friends could be hurt and yet. Yet he didn’t want them to leave, he didn’t want to be left alone, with all his elements, all his thoughts, all his darkness.

_Stay… stay with me?_ The colours pulsed like a rainbow. _Please? Please stay with me?_

The orb of light shattered, breaking off into rays of bright light and Zach floated for a moment, the air shifting around him, until he fell to the ground. He breathed out deeply, taking in the feel of the air filling his lungs and pulled himself to his feet. Zach’s eyes moved around the now silent room, his friends staring at him in complete shock.

“Zach? Are you okay, is that really you?”

Zach tried to answer but the only reply he was able to give was a ribbon of yellow and pink colour, wrapping around the air around him.

“Zach? Did you hear me, can you talk?”

“He is,” Light cut in, shaking her head, “The elements, the colours are speaking for him.”

“Colours?”

A wash of colours exploded out from Zach and a frown appeared on his face, frustrated that he could not communicate with words.

“This is how a master of elements talks to the world, having too much power means they aren’t allowed to communicate in fear of them saying something that people could use for wrong reasons.” Light gave Zach a pointed look at this, the ADC in turn looking like he had just been slapped in the face. “It’s the rules.”

“Screw the rules!” Tristan yelled, walking over and taking one of Zach’s hand, “Zach can talk to us if he wants to and we are not leaving him.”

“I told you, I will force your to do so if it comes down to it.”

“I would love to see you try.” The voice came from the other end of the room, from Nicolaj as he made his way over to them. Beside him, Eric’s face was set in a dark scowl as he half carried and half supported the injured Martin. “We don’t leave anyone behind, case and point, this idiot.”

“Hey!”

“Martin!” The whole of Fanatic rushed forward, concern and horror on their faces and panic laced in their voices at the sight of the injury. Mads took Eric’s place in supporting the AD so that the toplaner could tun and hug Zach and so that he could interrogate his friend much easier. “What the fuck did you do to yourself?”

“Technically, I mean technically, a part of the ceiling did this to me.”

“Details,” Rasmus commented from beside him, not sure what he found himself swallowing back emotions and the want to cry. “That looks, I mean, you look, we, I, ahem, I am glad that it’s not as bad as we were all imagining in our heads…”

“I’m fine, I mean I am going to be fine when I get out of here. And see a doctor, and you know, maybe some blood… I could probably use some of that after the amount that I have lost... I’m rambling, aren’t I? Am I rambling? I feel like I’m rambling…”

Martin’s words were slightly slewed together due to the blood loss and shock that was setting in. His words were cut off by his entire team rushing forward, wrapping him in a warm hug. “Ah, ah this is nice.” He sighed, sinking into the hug of his team, “I was worried about you all too…”

**x-x-x**

Zach just wanted to stay pressed in this tight hug forever, up against Eric’s body. Eventually the toplaner pulled out of the hug, pressing his lips fiercely onto his before holding him out at arm’s length, as if inspecting him. Eric narrowed his eyes, seeing past all the colours, all of the changes of clothes and hair and just saw how Zach actually looked, “Zach, you’re… you’re not okay, are you?”

The words brought tears to Zach’s eyes and Eric immediately pulled him back into a hug, “I’m here, I’ve got you, whatever it is we can face it together. We can defeat it, you are so strong, so we can fight it, we can fix it.”

“That is not possible!” Light yelled out, a hint of anger showing through her normally calm voice. “You need to step away Eric, you need to let go and you all need to leave.”

“You can’t make me.”

“I can, don’t think I won’t.”

“What makes you the decider on all these things anyway?” Nicolaj asked, narrowing his eyes. “What are you an expert on this master of elements or something, on us?”

“The last time someone became this, hundreds of people died, you need to stay here Zach, where you can’t hurt anyone, where you can’t hurt them.”

“What makes this place so special anyway?”

She sighed, seeming to get more aggravated by the minute, “I created it, it’s a pocket of light between the spaces of the worlds. When my sister attacked, I tried to contain the damage and you all got dragged in along with me.”

There was a small silence at this, “What?”

“How typical, you can’t understand that this power has to be contained, so you shouldn’t possess it.”

“There has to be the other way…”

“There isn’t!” At Light’s yell, a pulse of dark purple burst out of her, a shadowy mist pulsating with static. The bright light fabric wrapped around her that used to be hard to look at directly, had faded, “You stay here, they all leave, no other option – no other story!” Everyone had moved away from Light at this, seeing the seeping shadows, the lingering darkness manifest around her.

“What? Leave him here, with you?” It was Martin that spoke, the AD shaking his head from his position supported in his friends’ arms. “That’s what you’ve wanted all along isn’t it, Zach to be alone with you – so you can hurt him, so you can have that power to yourself?”

“No mere mortal can control that power and survive.”

“But you’re not mortal, right?”

She chuckled and her appearance seemed to flicker in and out, showing glimpses of Darkness, of her sister. Two separate pieces that weren’t so separate after all. “You know I tried, I tried to give you a chance, I tried to let you leave peacefully. This might hurt, then again, things done by force usually do.”

The air whipped up around them, shadows and purple chains crashing and moving around the room. An energy seemed to pulse, seemed to push, seemed intent on hurting.

“NO!” Bright ribbons of every colour crashed through the dark mist, separating it and breaking the chains, pushing it all away. “No!” The light exploded, a prism of rainbow colour filling the room, cleansing away the darkness. Emotions seemed to sweep through them as well, conflict yet peace, worry but security.

The white light and dark purple light danced through a battle in the air.


	12. The Regret of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your continued support of this story - here comes the next one. :D

“I’m so sorry, Zachary I wasn’t strong enough.” The words came to him through a fog of pain and emotions he recognized the voice – caring, concerned. The purest of light was talking to him, it was one of the most surreal feeling he ever had. “I had hoped to be able to save you all from this, I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this… I told your friends that you weren’t special, I was wrong. You are, you I can trust this with…”

As she talked, Zach could feel his body strengthening, his exhaustion healing. It was warm and calming – it gave him a new spirit, a sense of rejuvenation of energy. “I give to you my final gift; I only regret that I did not see this any sooner. A master of elements is nothing without the strongest of them all, use this power better than I could, use it…. To save your friends and restore the balance. I am sorry Zachary, I truly am, but now I put my trust and my faith, in you.”

He felt his body glow, it shifted, it changed – with an explosion of white light the final transformation was complete and he felt, in a word, untouchable.

“Zach, is that really you? Is everything okay?” The words came from Eric, who was staring at him in both awe and concern.

Zach nodded, inspecting his hand, “I’m okay – I talked to the real light, she gave me some of her powers… now, now I have all of them.”

“Huh, that would explain all of… this.” Eric gestured at Zach, moving his hands up and down in front of him. ‘It suits you, you look good.”

Zach’s hair had been cropped into a bob, transitioning from dark purple, to violet, to pink – the very tips a striking silver. The armour he was wearing was formed from half crystallized ice and half burning flame. The two elements somehow mixing and merging together. His arms and legs were wrapped in yellow and black ribbon, the crisscrossing patterns creating lighting branches across his skin.

The great dragon wings had folded in, still visible above his shoulders, ready to extend at a moment notice. The new, bright silver band of fabric wrapped and moved around the air around him, not touching his skin but not leaving the orbit of his body. The dual-wielding of the staffs completed the look, one of pure darkness the other of pure light – complimenting and contradicting each other at the same time.

Zach held an air of confidence and power, his eyes glinting with something none of them had ever seen before. “Everyone please stay close to me, I’m going to get us all out of here.”

“How is this possible?” The question came from the shadows, nothing of light was present now, just darkness, the purple light being around him, the chains of smoke shifting and shaking around her. Her power had grown and her anger shook the very air around her. “How can a mere mortal consume so much power, that should be killing you, it should have killed everyone here.”

“I know, I know that there is a good chance that this will kill me.” Zach ignored the ‘what!’ from his team at this comment. “But I don’t care about that. I don’t mind. What is more important to me is my friends and the people I love. They are what matter, if they survive and I don’t, it’s okay. That’s all I need to keep strong.”

“Ugh, here we go again with all that love, all the mush – have you forgotten what you are Zachary. Who you have hurt, what you have done – murderer?”

Zach wavered slightly at this, but his resolve strengthens as Nicolaj reached out and took his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “I have not forgotten that is a part of me after all. I am who I am today because of it.”

“You are used goods Zachary.” At these words, an intense surge of anger from the group crashed through the emotion in the room and Darkness chuckled, “How can you have such a strong bond with Eric dearest here if you wont even let him get close to you in that… so intimate way.”

“Stop it – you’re just using cheap tactics because you know you can’t win any other way!” It was Martin that yelled this, while Eric quietly seethed beside him. “Where in the world is your honour, you hold yourself up so high and mighty but you are nothing but a coward!”

“Hush worm, this does not concern you. I would watch what you say while you are in my domain.” At Darkness’s words Martin gasped, hand going towards his injured leg where pain crashed and pulsed. He cried out in pain as blood began to pour from the wound.

“Martin!” There was a surge of movement towards him as he fell to the ground, whimpering in pain, trying to stop the bleeding.

“No one calls me a coward, especially insignificant little…”

“Enough!” Zach’s voice boomed around the room., a shock wave of bright pink light moving through all of them. When it passed over Martin, the bleeding stopped, the ADC breathed a little easier, and the wound seemed to heal and close up before their very eyes. The sharp piece of wood that had caused to the wound fell to the ground, covered in blood.

“What, what I don’t… I don’t understand…”

“I can only give it time, but you need to get out of here. I can heal it up like you see, but I can’t magically put the blood back in your body… you’ve lost too much.” Zach moved over to Martin and helped him to his feet. Looking around at the Fanatic team that was standing all around them. “I am sorry, this was never your battle.”

“We have said it a million times, that it’s okay, we are here to help because we want to.”

“And you have and I am grateful but now, you need to go.”

Rasmus shook his head, “We can’t leave you alone.”

“I will not be alone.” Zach looked back over his shoulder at his team, smiling softly. “But I can’t stay by and just watch you suffer like this when I can do something about it.” The staff in Zach’s hands began to glow, silver and gold wisps flowing out of it.

“What, what are you going to do?”

“What they said they were going to do, only it won’t hurt – I promise.”

“No, wait, think about this, Zach…”

“He needs a Doctor, that’s all there is to it. Go, and thank you.” Zach held the staff in front of him and spun it around in a circle and with a sudden ‘pop’ the whole of Fanatic disappeared, leaving no trace of ever being there in the first place.

Nodding, content at knowing that they were safe, Zach made his way back to his team, back to his family. Back to standing face to face with Darkness. “Now you can’t hurt them or use that injury against me. All you have down is try to get into my head and use those I care about against me. You really are a coward!”

Darkness growled at this, conjuring up large amounts of energy around her. The energy grew and shifted, changing shape into chains and large creatures. “You forget, I created you, I made you – I can tear you apart piece by piece just as easily!”

“Not anymore.” Zach stood his ground, even with the emotions and past memories crashing through him Darkness, trying to pull him back. “No, you no longer hold any power over me.”

She screamed and the darkness crashed forward, heading straight towards Zach and the team. He would end this, he had to, before anyone else got hurt.

**x-x-x**

“Where are we?”

“I think back in the arena…”

“Ugh, what is that awful sound, my ears feel like they are bleeding.”

“The evacuation alarm, I guess the initial fire and such was real. We should get out of here.”

They all moved forward as a team, supporting Martin as they did so. The hallways felt longer and seemed to stretch on forever, the blaring alarm of the evacuation seemed louder and louder the longer they heard it. Moving out into fresh air and daylight was an attack to the sensors, causing a whiplash of emotions.

“This feels too…. Normal.”

“You’re right, if I wasn’t so light headed from all the blood loss I would think it would have all been some kind of dream…”

“Right! You… ah, let’s get you somewhere helpful, I would presume they have some sort of medical staff around.”

“You! Where the fuck have you been!” The team turned as one, their attention catching that of Gabriël, their second toplaner storming over to the with a fire in his eyes. “Do you have any idea how worried I have been, how much every has panicked! And now, now you just come waltzing out here like it’s nothing!”

“Ah, but…”

“No buts! We thought you were dead, there were explosions and fine and just…what happened?”

“Well, that is really hard to explain, I’m struggling even how to and where to begin.”

“Maybe start with why Martin’s leg is covered in blood!?” His voice had risen several octaves at the sight of the injured Martin. The blood had begun to seep through as the wound has opened again, although the shard of wood was now gone. It was like the healing that Zach had done had worn off, he had after all, only given them time.

“Right, yes, before we explain anything, we need to get you to hospital.”

“I still don’t feel right, knowing they are still down there.” Martin muttered although his words slurred slightly together, giving another indication that he needed medical attention. “Then again, staying conscious is becoming a struggle.”

He swayed slightly in Rasmus’s arms, the midlaner gripping him tightly and leading him in the direction of the ambulance that was waiting nearby for anyone that needed help. The team went o follow suit but was stopped short by another yell in their direction.

“Hey!”

The yell came from Greyson, who was rushing over to them, Jack and Reapered right on his heels. “What… who….” He shook his head, trying to regain his composure, “Where, where are my friends, you must have been with them.?”

“Ah, ah I mean we were.”

“And you just left!”

“We didn’t want to, they kind of, forced us, out of the way, to stop us from getting involved.”

“Okay, I like that, that implies that they are not safe.” Mads flinched at this and muttered something under his breath which did nothing to install confidence in the situation. “Well, I am going to go in there and find them myself.”

“You can’t…”

“Yeah that is kind of impossible.”

“No it’s not – they are in there and I will find them because no one else around here wants to do their damn jobs.”

“Greyson, please.” Jack spoke, placing a hand on the annoyed midlaners shoulder. “I am worried too but the emergency services were already looked everywhere. They said that there was no one in there.”

“And yet these guys just waltz out! They have to be in there, where else could they be.”

“A magical space between light and dark itself that was built to contain apparently the most dangerous power we have ever seen.”

“What?”

“What?”

There was a small silence as they tried to figure out if Paul was just being sarcastic or not. “What… magic, dangerous powers, what do you mean?”

“Well…”

They didn’t get a chance to try to explain, there was suddenly a loud, chilling explosion and a pulling apart, cracking sound. The ground beneath their feel began to split apart.

“What?”

“Everyone get back, now!”

With a loud crunch the ground splintered apart, creating a spider-web pattern of fissures that headed up to the arena. There was a moment of dead silence when everything seemed to hang in the air and then, the explosion.

A pillar of pure white light burst up through the arena and into the sky. It engulfed the arena and tore it apart as the pillar grew outwards. The white light turned yellow, orange and then red, the light replaced by immense flames that licked the clouds in the sky and turned the arena to nothing more than ash.

An eerie sound, that was much like a chilling scream, crashed through the air as the pillar suddenly vanished, blinking out of existence. The air grew still once more and in front of them, the arena was nothing but a crater on the ground.

“No… no that can’t… what?” All around them, people were crying out in disbelief, confusion, fear. “No, they, can’t we what… what even was that, I don’t think I even believe what I just say.”

As the rest of Fanatic stood with the shocked and horrified members of the C9 staffing team, Martin and Rasmus watched it all unfold from the back of the ambulance, the noise causing them to turn their attention for a moment from preparing to leave to the event that had just happened.

A sharp pain burst through Rasmus’s chest, almost as if someone had reached inside and pulled something out of it. He gripped Martin’s hand tightly and the confused AD looked over to see tears in his friends’ eyes.

“He did it, I felt it, a snap, a crash of power – that was Zach, he was the one that did that.”

“Is it, is it a good thing?”

“I don’t know.”


	13. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who is still reading this little idea of mine ^.^ I hope you enjoy this chapter :D
> 
> <3

The chains of darkness cut through the piercing light from Zach and wrapped themselves around him, squeezing tightly – around him arms, pinning the two elemental staves to his side.

“Zach!”

“No, stay back, I won’t let you be hurt.”

“What about yourself, you will let yourself be hurt?”

“This – is nothing.” At Zach’s words the chains shattered around him, turning into crystalized dust of pastel colours. “Darkness can’t hurt me anymore.” The dust shifted and moved, forming a large dragon. The wings on Zach’s back opened, the sleep black metal glinting, the wings beat one time and the dragon charges, advancing on Darkness, bringing light to her shadows.

“I know no, that ever if I fall, even if those memories hurt me, they can never defeat me. I will always get back up, my darkness does not define me, but I will embrace it – as a part of me.”

“I will not let myself be defeated by a mere child!” Darkness hissed back, seamlessly breaking aaway from the attack of the dragon. “You have power, power that is rightfully mine and I will not allow you to stand around with ti anymore. The power to kill, should belong to Darkness not a child!”

She looked over at Zach watching the shifting movements of the elements around him. “Then again, you’ve always known what it’s like to kill, it’s in your blood.” Darkness stepped forward, eyes narrowed towards Zach, “Give me that power, give it all up and you’ll never have the fear of killing anyone again.”

“If I give up this power, you’ll use it to hurt my friends and I can’t allow that. I will protect them, no matter what.”

“You’re sounding like a broken record, my dear Zachary – maybe let your friends talk for once, hmm – what do they all think of this.”

“I think you’re crazy.” Robert muttered under his breath. “Crazy for even thinking Zach is the kind of person that would just give up.”

“And your afraid,” Nicolaj added, knowing full well that comment would anger Darkness. “Afraid of fighting, so you’re just using words. Real darkness wouldn’t hide, wouldn’t sulk, like… like a child.”

“Oh, my dear boy, don’t forget who gave you those beautiful scars.” She chuckled, as beside Nicolaj, Tristan placed a hand on his shoulder, careful to avoid the scar still visible around his neck area. “And besides, you’re all just too blind to see. Darkness always slinks in the shadows but it always attacks from it as well.”

It happened in less than a second, with no time to react. The ground beneath Nicolaj opened up, causing a large rift to suddenly appear, shadowy hands reached up and grabbed him, pulling him away from Tristan and to the ground.

“Nico!”

“My, my where have I seen this before…” Darkness’s voice held an edge of victory to it, as the hand grew and multiplied, wrapping themselves around Nicolaj, almost encasing him completely. “Oh yes, that’s right my dear – freeze.”

The hands began to ice over, freezing themselves onto Nicolaj’s body, a muffled scream escaped his lips as the ice crossed over his old scars. The team gathered around him, but every time one of them reached out to help, Nicolaj was pulled away forcibly dragged further away from them.

“Let him go!”

“Now, why would I do that, it’s so much fun my dear Zach, you know you can save him. But it requires a sacrifice, on your part.”

“One I will gladly pay.”

There was a muffled protest from Nicolaj at this, as Zach moved forward, placing a hand on the cold ice that was encasing his best friend. It didn’t push away like it did with the others, in fact with Zach, the ice stopped growing. “Leave him.”

At these words, the ice began to retreat, pulling itself backwards, away from Nicolaj and the darkness. The hands turned into pure ice, which shattered, raining down small shards over them. Nicolaj pitched forward, shaking as the coldness still sunk to his body, he gripped Zach’s tightly as if it was his only life-line.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, you had to do that…”

“Please don’t apologize, your life is worth that and so much more.”

Nicolaj breathed out deeply, trying to steady his emotions he looked up at Zach. He had changed, the armour he wore now fully fire, shifting and moving through the air. His control over ice, was gone. 

“Oh it’s almost too easy,” Darkness laughed form the other side of the room, “You just bend to my every whim, as long as your dear friends, are in danger. Who should I target next huh, the young one you have taken under your wing – your lover, perhaps – maybe I can touch him in the way you refuse to do so?”

She smirked as Zach flinched at this and Robert, standing beside Eric, placed his arm out in front of the top-laner, as if expecting him to charge at her. 

“It’s simple, though Zach, all you need to do is give up the other elements, that was I can begin to search for them once more and you will no longer be in my way, maybe then I won’t have to kill you?”

“Don’t think for a second that I am falling for the ‘give up and I’ll spare you’ routine, I’m hardly that naïve.”

“Then you’re putting your friends in danger, seeming what happened to Dear Nicolaj wasn’t enough then, let us see…” Darkness rose up around them once again, chains, animals, hands, all made to capture them. Flames crashed and burned trying to engulf them.

But nothing got through where they stood, white bubbles appeared, shields made of pure light, surrounded them. “No, this is where it ends.” The shields began to glow brightly, blinding them all. “I know, I won’t be able to hold you off forever, I know that if I slip up they will be hurt even more, so then, there is only one more thing left to do.”

“No! Zach, don’t you dare!” Eric’s voice echoed harshly around the space he knew exactly what Zach planned on doing.

“I’m sorry but now, now I must stand alone.”

“No-we…” The voice cut off and with a small pop his team, his friends, disappeared, back to the safety of reality.

Zach turned to face Darkness, the white band of light that had been swirling around him had disappeared, the staff of pure light blinking out of existence. “Now it’s just you and me, you can’t use them anymore.”

“How noble of you, Zachary, my dear, such a selfless sacrifice.” There was an annoyed twitch of Darkness’s face, “Tell me, are you ready to die for them?”

**x-x-x**

“No!” Eric stumbled forward, almost falling off his feet as he found himself colliding with crumbling earth rather than the flat steel, they had been standing on only mere seconds before. Eric straightened, looking around in horror, “No… no we can’t be…”

“He sent us away, but, where are we – I don’t recognize this place at all?”

“Ah, this may sound ridiculous, but I think this is the arena? Or what’s left of it…”

They found themselves in a crater, curved up and outwards, it didn’t look too steep to climb but the idea in itself seemed completely ridiculous. 

“This is absurd! Surely something like this can’t happen!”

“Zach sent us to safety, but this doesn’t look very safe, do you think something is wrong?”

“I don’t think so; I can feel the rush of wind again. I can smell… life, rain, dirt. This is reality, I truly think we are back.”

“Okay then, so how do we get… un-back?”

“Eric?”

“I’m not leaving him alone; I can’t even begin to fathom… he needs someone!”

“Are you implying that Zach is not strong enough to face this?”

“That is not what I said!”

The argument between Eric and Tristan may have continued had it not been for the sudden thumping wound of their team-mate hitting the ground.

“Nicolaj!”

“I’m fine, I’m…” He breathed out in pain, pressing a hand to his ribs. “I just got a little light-headed all of a sudden.”

“Yeah and then you face planted,” Robert rolled his eyes, moving over quickly to help Nicolaj back to his feet. “You really… don’t look too good.”

“I, I think Zach’s magical healing ability only works in the magical real of…. Wherever the heck we were.” Nicolaj held out an arm, watching as one of his wounds appeared, the cut snaking its way across his arm.

“That just seems wildly unfair,” The team moved forward, now fully focused on the injured mid-laner. “So, what the magical injuries are able to be real, but the healing isn’t?”

“Well, I mean, if you look at it from the outside,” Nicolaj hissed in pain, pressing his arms tightly up against him in an attempt to stop the surging fire-like pain. “A ceiling did fall on top of me.” The injuries were now bleeding, a spiderweb of crimson creating patterns over his arms.

“Okay, we will figure out the how later on, now…” It was Dennis that lifted the midlaner up into his arms. “We’re getting you somewhere that can help.”

“I’m guessing up the slope?”

“Looks like it, so up the slope we go.” Dennis began walking with purpose over to the closest edge of the crater and then, with the rest of the team keeping him steady, began to make his way up, holding Nicolaj tightly in his arms as he did so.

Heading up the slope was slow going, as Dennis didn’t want to miss-step and let Nicolaj fall from his arms. When they were near the top, Dennis faltered slightly, getting over the edge, the crumbling top that looked like it would fall any moment, was going to be difficult.

“Um, one of you should try to go up first, so I can pass him up to you.”

“You know, I am not useless, to be honest I don’t think I need to be carried.”

“Hush.”

Before anymore could move, or even reply, a hand suddenly appeared and as all too familiar voice called out to them. “Here, take my hand – I’ll pull you up.”

Dennis did so without question, making sure that Nicolaj was secure in his arms as he did so. With great effort and pulling he found himself standing on solid ground again, blinging up at the sun and the silhouette of his friend.

“Hey, do you know where we can got to get medical attention?”

Greyson just stared at them in shock, “What, that is all I get, no explanation, no nothing?”

“You get one of those when Nicolaj isn’t in danger of dying.”

**x-x-x**

The flames licked at his skin, wanting nothing more than to engulf him, to burn him, to turn him into nothing but dust.

“I’m actually impressed you’ve handled this power will, Zach – but it was never for you, never for a mortal. Let go and everything will be okay.”

He knew that if he let go know, then he would die he knew he would never see his friends again, so that’s why he refused, because seeing them again was all that mattered. Their faces filled his vision and have him strength.

When Zach breathed, when he drew on that strength, the flames no longer burned, no longer destroyed. They inspired, they danced, they laughed at his touch. They were his and he was theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading dudes :D


End file.
